Yugen
by Airrah11
Summary: Would you sacrifice your life for a brief, brilliant love? KaZe, MPREG, Pureblood Zero.
1. Bury Me

_**A/N: This is my third story for Vampire Knight. I've previously written Asia (not my fave), and Carnal Desires (Fave story I've written), and I encourage you to check out those, but they are distinctly different and play no part in this one. The chapters in this story will be shorter than my 10K ones in Carnal Desires, but I will still try and keep putting more content out, and the shorter length should make it easier to do so. If you have any suggestions for where you would like me to take this story, I have not pre-written any chapters, only storyboarded this chapter and chapter two, so please make suggestions now. I play around with reality and time in this chapter (Part one, Present Zero in Present Body, Present Zero seeing through Future Body, Future Zero in Present Body.) I hope that explanation helps, but if you need any more clarification either Review or PM me. Sorry for the long A/N, please REVIEW, Fave, and Follow. (But seriously, please review! :))**_

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1

A Gift of Forewarning

It was dark and cold out and for once in a blue moon, the fangirls had absconded from their beloved Night Class for the warmth of their heated dorms.

There was a bitter wind crashing and biting and snapping at his reddened face and Zero found himself struggling for breath. He was _thirsty_ , so thirsty that he had trouble maintaining safe thought. But for some reason he found himself in complete and utter control of himself. The thirst gnawed desperately at him, but it rang hollow, as if it was not quite his own.

Yuki walked on the opposite side of the path, paying close attention to the back of her dear Kaname-senpai's head, her eyes doey with not-quite-requited love for her crush. Zero was sickened by the thought, but he paid her little mind, focusing his energy on trying to breathe in and out and _hopefully_ not pass out in front of the bratty Nobles, and by each and every second he felt himself failing.

He had been sick for days, and the only thing that had kept him from snapping at every poor soul that wandered his way was the fact that he simply did not have the energy required. He felt so fucking _weak_ , and he was disgusted by it.

They were within sights of the main building when he fell slightly against a neighboring tree, weak in the knees as he struggled to keep his balance.

It wasn't as if Kuran hadn't been feeding him blood- no, the Pureblood _always_ made sure he had enough to retain control. No, this was not by any means similar to his normal physical torment. This was dangerous and he _just knew_ was going to get him in trouble. And soon at that.

He was not wrong as his legs gave out and he fell to his knees with a small groan.

The Night Class had been steadily ignoring him however and continued on until Yuki noticed and gave a concerned yelp as she ran over to his side, drawing the attention of the Nobles and their beloved Prince.

"Zero! Zero, what's wrong?!"

Zero looked up at her briefly as it took a second for her words to sink in fully.

Something wet dripped from his nose and he wiped it away with his hand, staring down at it for a moment, only mildly surprised when it turned out to be blood.

"I have a headache," He muttered distantly and Yuki tried to help hoist him back to his feet but her short stature failed her and they both fell back to the ground.

"Come on, Zero. Let's get to the Nurse's Office." She urged and he nodded pliantly (which he would later deny, when and if he recalled it).

He struggled to his feet and briefly stood tall before collapsing back onto the ground, knocked unconscious from the power of the fall, leaving Yuki to deal with the Night Class alone.

He doubted he would ever hear the end of it, from her or _them_.

 _The first thing he is aware of when he comes to is the agony of being ripped apart from the inside out and the outside in as a doctor stood over him, ripping his pale distended flesh into strips with a bright shining scalpel that had probably been used on hundreds before him, doing the same thing to hundreds of women before the man was set loose on him._

 _Where was he?_

 _Where was Kaname when he needed him? Surely, he should have gotten here by now!_

 _He let loose a scream of bitter pain, where were the drugs? He needed them, and he needed them minutes ago!_

 _He was strapped down and as his blood began to seep onto the cold metal table he began to feel the chill sink into his skin, his flesh, into his very bones. He couldn't escape it and flashes of that night that was so very long ago flooded his mind and he could hold back the tears as biting slices continued into his abdomen._

 _Ichiru, Okaa-san, Otou-san. They were all gone and all he could feel was the biting cold and then the harsh bite that had ended his humanity and made him into a beast just as bad as the ones he wanted, no, needed to hunt._

 _Doors to the operating room slam open and Kaname is at his side._

 _"Zero!"_

 _He blinked hazily at his former enemy, his now mate. He swallowed thickly as he felt Kaname grip his restrained hand in a show of comfort._

 _"Zero, you have to hold on! He's almost done now, just a bit longer and then-"_

 _A cry resounded throughout the room and he was brought back to his pained present._

 _His babies. Of course, it was for them that he had to bear it, now he could remember!_

 _It would be worth it. Hopefully._

 _Hopefully he would survive it, no, he_ _ **had**_ _to. He couldn't leave Kaname alone with them-no. He could never leave Kaname alone- it was the one thing Zero had sworn never to do when they underwent the ceremony that Kaname wanted to do (nevermind the fact that they had already been technically mated for some time by then, silly pureblood)._

 _No, he could never leave Kaname alone._

 _But as he felt his blood drift away from his form and off the metal table and onto the dingy cracked tiles of the makeshift clinic he began to go silent in terms of willpower._

 _"It's a boy! Wait, there's another!"_

 _The doctor handed the first baby, their son, away to a neighboring nurse who immediately took care of the crying infant as Zero's breath became harsh and broken._

 _Kaname's handsome features contorted into urgent fear and Zero swallowed again and gave a soft smile as another babe's cry pierced the air._

 _"A girl! It's a girl!"_

 _Zero found it difficult to keep his eyes open and focused on his mate and Kaname squeezed his hand tight as if holding on for dear life._

 _"I love you, you know that, Zero. You can't do this, you have to survive, you have to endure! Come on, you can't leave us alone now!"_

 _"I'm tired…" Zero murmured and gave a cough and blood spattered his cheeks and chin, sliding down his jaw to his neck, then to the cool table which began to seem warmer by the second._

 _"No, Zero! You can't sleep, you have to stay awake. Remember! Remember what-"_

 _"Kaname," He bit out, "I think this is what he meant. I think this is our payment… and we… have to pay what's...due."_

 _His words were slurred and distant and his eyelids slid shut and he lost all sense of time, slowly losing the feeling of his mate's hand interlocked with his own._

 _And eventually, he drifted off._

 _He had to go home._

He came to in a clinic not like the one he was just in- no, he hadn't been here in quite some time- but it was just as he remembered it.

Smooth, clean, linoleum tile. Short, claustrophobic ceilings and off white painted walls with awful nature paintings hanging over each of the sick beds.

He sat up and glanced down at himself and he saw for the first time in almost a year, his haphazard school uniform and no bump marking where his twins had just been pulled from.

He was back. Back before any of it happened.

He knew what he had to do.

Kaname had told him what had happened months too late, but still, he knew what he needed to do.

"Kiryu? You awake, now? Can I finally go? Kaname-sama would let me go now, what do you think?" Aido's petulant voice perked up from across the room where he was lounging on another sick bed out of boredom.

Zero narrowed his eyes briefly on the ice-wielder.

His chest ached and he knew he didn't have long now.

He turned urgent and flitted over to the blond's side, hovering over him, surprising the Noble when he removed his lazy arm from his fair face.

"I need you to do something." Zero explained and Aido snorted.

"No." Aido replied and Zero shook his head.

"It's easy. All you have to do is tell Kaname-"

"How dare you use his name so familiarly!" Aido admonished and Zero ground his teeth.

"Look, asshole. I don't have much time but you need to tell him something for me."

"Why can't you do it your-"

"Because the current me won't remember! Just do it!"

His chest screamed with pain and he choked on his breath briefly before speaking up and delivering his missive.

"Tell him that the Moon demands payment in the form of sacrifice, and it won't be picky about it! Tell him that this is one thing he cannot bear alone!"

He fell back onto the bed to the side and crashed onto the floor, his skin breaking out into an angry sweat. Aido looked well and truly freaked out and Zero coughed, blood spitting from his mouth in an angry burst.

"Go!"

"Bu-"

"Go! Go! Go! G-"

His one cough turned into several and he contorted himself into a ball upon the floor as the Noble ran out to deliver his message.

And then...

And then, he died.


	2. Blood Sweat & Tears

**_A/N: Oh my god, thank ya'll so much for reviewing and following! I've never gotten a response to a story so quickly! Here's chapter two, I plan on storyboarding the next two chapters tonight before I begin the next one hopefully tonight or tomorrow, so feel free to send me and of your ideas for the story! :) As always, please REVIEW, Fave, and Follow!_**

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2

Called Back

Aido bolted from the Nurse's office without a doubt in his mind that he _had_ to deliver the message. Kiryu had been off, what did he mean that he wouldn't remember? He was already awake, where did he get off with the 'current me' crap? What? Was he not the Kiryu that Aido loved to hate?

He had snapped at him, but there had been no notorious glare, no growls, no grumbles, no viciousness. It was extremely out of character, Aido knew that for damn sure.

He had spoken to Aido with familiarity, like they had been friends and he was just having an off day. Aido was certain though that he had never been friends with the level D.

He flitted across the grass to the main path where he met the rest of the Night Class as they headed back to the dorms.

In his anxiety, he completely bypassed Kain and hurried to his Kaname-sama's side and waited for the Pureblood to acknowledge him.

Kaname glanced at him from the corner of his eye as they stepped into the foyer of the dorm and waved him to follow as they made their way up to his office.

Aido twitched nervously, deeply disturbed by Kiryu's abrupt change in personality.

The door shut tight behind them and Aido stood directly in front of the Pureblood's desk as Kaname took his seat in the aged bronze leather chair.

"What is it, Aido?"

Aido swallowed, "Kiryu woke up and something was off about him and he demanded that I deliver a message to you, Kaname-sama."

Kaname cocked an elegant brow, his mask giving little away except for his apparent desire to hear said message.

Aido swallowed thickly and released a shaky breath.

"He said something like 'the Moon demands payment in the form of sacrifice, and it won't be picky about it' and that you won't be able to bear it alone."

Kaname was silent at his words and tapped his pen against his jaw for a moment in thought. He dismissed Aido with a wave of his hand and the Noble quickly departed the office, leaving the Pureblood to himself.

A brief flash of memory had him facing the one woman he had ever truly loved once more, thousands of years past.

 _Her back was turned away from him and he wasted no time wrapping his arms around her hooded form as they overlooked the gardens of the home he had built for his descendents._

 _He had been mated with her officially a few centuries past, after he had sired several generations of the Kuran line with other female purebloods._

 _She had taken only a handful of lovers before he confessed his growing romantic feelings for his closest friend, his hooded woman._

 _She wrapped a delicate hand around his arm, appearing to take comfort in his presence, as if it would be the very last time._

 _He could never bear the thought._

 _But he would never deny her treasured freedom._

 _He knew his mate was a closeted martyr, she had confessed that to him a few times in light jest, but he knew her words rang true with honesty._

 _"I love you," She whispered softly and released the balcony railing and turned around to reveal her beautiful features to him._

 _Silver hair that was cut to the underside of her breasts, skin the color of milk and the brightest amethyst eyes that now appeared troubled._

 _She let her hands rest against his chest and he wrapped his arms around her tight, and he could admit it to himself that he at times felt like it would be the very last chance to hold her._

 _He didn't think he could live without her brilliant mind, her fierce strength, her tremendous willpower._

 _"You must always endure, even when I fail to." She had once said to him and he had denied that he could at the time, but she had persevered until she had gotten him to vow that he would._

 _He would never break a vow to her, not for as long as he lived if he could help it._

 _They had no children together- the both of them done with parenting for some time, both reluctant to take on the responsibility once again._

 _He knew he was going to regret that, especially as she gripped his shirt and released a breath as she spoke next._

 _"My love, the Sun has called me and I must return to the light."_

 _His heart gave a stutter at the thought- no, she couldn't do this to him. He would fight her to the end on this- but he knew ultimately that she would win._

 _She was frustratingly perseverant, and he had long since known that would lead to her end._

 _He yearned for some other option- some way he could change her mind._

 _But in the end, he knew he would fail._

The first thing he felt when he woke up was pain.

Shooting, burning, agonizing pain.

Every breath scratched at his throat, clawing its way down to his lungs with incessant fervor- and for a moment he wished for it all just to end.

Zero couldn't even scream to release the pain in some way- no, that would have been too easy.

He could feel his body convulse on the floor, he could feel his mouth foaming and yet he could see nothing. His eyes were closed, shut tight under the pain.

He could hear the Nurse calling for the Chairman and Yagari via the clinic phone, he could hear the phone drop and crash against the wall, rebounding several times with sharp cracks as the Nurse rushed to his side, trying to rearrange his body into a position to ease his pain.

It was pointless, he didn't think he would ever escape this pain.

Perhaps he should pray for forgiveness- make his peace with whatever deity he had to.

His blood was like acid in his veins and it felt like his body was being ripped apart at the seams- it made his previous vision/dream/whatever it had been feel like nothing in comparison.

No, that had been almost peaceful in the end.

This. This was hell.

He choked on his breaths, and he could feel his blood slip down his jaw.

A loud crash burst through the air and he could feel the familiar auras of his adopted father and sensei enter with a rush into the small clinic.

"Mother of God, what's happening to him?" Yagari breathed and the Chairman gasped.

The Nurse released him for only a moment but in that moment his pain climbed to new heights and he could feel thick tears slide down his face, down his temples, and onto the linoleum, converging with slick wetness that dripped from his ears.

Blood, he was bleeding from his eyes, his ears… and if he was right, his nose and mouth.

If he couldn't feel what was going on he would snort at the picture he must have made to them all.

"Zero? Zero? What's happening to him?!" Yuki's voice was urgent and desperate for consolment. She would find none here.

He could hear her run away from the clinic then and then he was back, knowing that he was alone in this.

It was the way it had always been for him at the core of his life he could suppose. He had never allowed anything else.

Now he wished he'd had.

Yuki bolted toward the Moon dorms, stopping for no one and no thing as her desperation grew to new heights. Kaname had to know how to stop it. He _had_ to.

When she reached the steps she banged on the doors with all her might and Takuma opened the door shocked to find her soaked from the rain, shivering from the early chill of winter with an urgent look upon her face.

Her hair stuck to her face and neck, clinging to her goosebumped skin.

"Is Kaname-senpai here? I need to see him now." She swallowed and Takuma nodded, escorting her up the stairs to his office as quick as he could without running.

He knocked on the door and announced her presence, waiting to open the door till they were invited.

"Come in."

Yuki was hyperventilating beside him and burst into the room and Takuma quickly absconded back to his room, leaving the two alone.

Kaname's mask broke for a moment as he took in her appearance in surprise.

"Something's happening to Zero." She swallowed, tears sliding down her face.

"I've never seen anything like it, I-he needs help."

He was silent for a moment, his mask back in place before he fully stood and nodded, following his special girl back to the clinic himself.

They could hear Zero breaking out into screams as they drew closer- he was begging, begging for someone-anyone to help.

When they entered the clinic they found Yagari and Cross trying to hold him down for the Nurse to tie his convulsing body down to one of the beds.

It was at that time that they were all thrown to all corners of the room, crashing against the walls and furniture, Kaname included.

They were held still by some powerful force for a moment before the electricity in the room went haywire and the lights shut off.

Zero went silent.

Kaname was the first to regain composure and carefully approached the bed.

He released a shuddering breath.

 _"How?"_


	3. You Don't Belong

**_A/N: Three chapters within twenty four hours? I guess I'm on a roll. I hope ya'll enjoy this chapter, anyway, please REVIEW, Fave, and Follow. :)_**

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3

Confusion

 _It was a warm night in the middle of summer as she laid her sons to sleep. Her half breed sons- half hunter, half pureblood vampire._

 _Lilly uncovered her hood from her unruly silver hair and ran a hand through it, pushing it out of her face as she finished her bedtime story to her children. Her two eldest were sleeping peacefully and though she knew her youngest, dear Mika, was merely pretending to rest._

 _She knew very well that he would come down this night to be with her._

 _It was almost time for her to depart from their lives- their father would take care of them well she knew, but she also knew that he would bind their vampire sides and deny them half of their birthright when she left them._

 _Her sons, Akira, Sato, and Mika all took after her looks-wise as opposed to her pureblood vampire children such as the Kazuma who resembled nothing like her in the least, or the Hiou, who look only similarly to her._

 _The eldest, Akira and Sato, twins, were well-mannered and dutiful and everything her husband wanted while her youngest, dear sweet Mika was a dreamer at heart, his head always in the clouds and his heart always away from conflict of any sort._

 _She left the room after placing the book upon the bare table beside Akira's bed and made her way to the front porch where she could watch the sun rise and await Mika's eventual company._

 _Within minutes, Mika had made his way as silent as any ghost to her position, plopping himself beside her on the comfy loveseat that was long since worn._

 _"Okaa-san, I had another dream." He began and she nodded, wrapping her hand with his own, squeezing it to urge him to tell her._

 _"It was about Yuki and her brother again." Mika said softly, "Yuki is smiling like always and she was talking about her friends again and then her brother comes in and she smiles at me and leaves and… oh, Okaa-san I know that I love him, or I will, I mean."_

 _She smiled and ran a hand through his silver waves that were due for another cut._

 _"I thought when I first dreamed of him that he hated me- but then dream after dream I think he changed his mind, or will, I guess. He loved Yuki first, but something happened and he started to look at me more and more and then… Well I think he loved, will love me, or at least I hope so, Okaa-san. I know I'll love him more than anyone else."_

 _"Tell me more about him." She urged and he smiled softly at her, his amethyst eyes bright and untouched by true sadness, filled with hope and trust._

 _"I think they're like you, Okaa-san. Purebloods, I think."_

 _Lilly squeezed his hand once more as apprehension filled her._

 _She knew her husband would never allow their sons to mate with vampires, certainly not purebloods._

 _Their own marriage had been without mating bond, and without true love, but instead amiable acquaintance that turned into marital convenience._

 _So she lamented for her son, her little dreamer._

 _She squeezed his hand once more, "You have great things ahead of you, my son. But I fear that you will not come to this happiness for some time."_

Kaname approached the only righted bed in the clinic with caution, his former word hanging in the air- the first lack in control he'd had in a very long time.

 _"How?"_

The ex-human, one of the only people to ever well and truly challenge him, lay partially tied down to the bed that dripped with his spilled blood.

He had no idea how the ex-human had made such a change in himself or what had done it, what had turned his competition in Yuki's love into a being like his own. A Pureblood.

His face appeared to heal to perfection before his very eyes, making the already beautiful silverette grow to match the raw beauty that Pureblood's all had.

Slowly, the other people in the room righted themselves and followed him over to the bed, all of them unable to look away as the former level D made his way up the vampire chain of hierarchy before their very eyes.

"Zero?" Yuki mumbled from beside Kaname and the silverette's began to stir.

"What the hell is happening?" Yagari breathed to the Chairman and Cross himself shook his head as if in a haze.

"I don't know."

Yagari looked to Kaname but the Pureblood Prince paid him no mind as he kept his wine eyes trained on the awakening new Pureblood.

 _The Moon demands payment? Could that have something to do with this?_

Kiryu's aura began to reach out as if it were trying to gain its bearings itself.

It hummed with the power of a Pureblood, but it held a distinct feeling of confusion about it, made even more abundantly clear when the new Pureblood opened his eyes.

He circled his amethyst eyes which seemed significantly less weighed down than before with the trials he had undergone in life.

A first sign, Kaname could suppose.

His brows furrowed as he glanced at them all, but they stilled on Yuki and Kaname and he frowned, as if he was trying to decipher them with a single glance.

"Who? Who are you?"

"He doesn't remember a damn thing, Cross! Something is most definitely _going_ _on!"_ Yagari crowed and Cross pinched the bridge of his nose before righting his glasses.

Yagari, Cross, and Kaname were in the kitchen discussing the events of the day, trying to come to terms with what happened.

They were within sight of the living room where Yuki and Zero were sitting on the couch, the petite brunette trying to spark Zero's memory by showing him pictures of his life with them and a few of the ones he kept in his room of he and his twin.

"See, Zero." She urged him and he shook his head as he tried to gather any memory of his life with them all.

"Well, you know your name is Zero, right? You must remember something else, right?" Yuki went on and he shook his head once more.

He frowned for a moment and a distant look crossed his face.

"I know you," He said and she perked up.

"Go on!" She commended and he frowned again.

"But you don't look the way you did in my dream- you had longer hair and were older I think." He glanced over at the other Pureblood who only looked at him when he spoke up next.

"Is he your brother?" Zero turned back to her, missing the Pureblood in the other room tense slightly at his words.

"Uh… no, Zero. You're my brother." Yuki shook her head and the pureblood frowned.

"I'm not a vampire." She continued and he shook his head.

"But you were in my dream, I think."

"It must have just been a dream then." Yuki stated almost a bit harshly.

"No, I was so certain… Are you sure you're not a vampire? You were a pureblood I think in my dream."

She sighed at his words and closed the scrapbook and tapped the glass of the picture frame he held in his hand of he and his twin.

"Don't you remember Ichiru?"

Zero looked down at the frame.

"He was your twin." She helped and he shook his head.

"I don't have a twin. I have two brothers, though. They're twins."

"Zero? You only have the one brother, and he is your twin."

Across the room, Kaname turned to Cross.

"He knows his name, but can't remember anything else about his life?" Cross breathed and Kaname shook his head.

"It appears as if he knows his name but bears another's memories. Though I cannot think of an explanation as to why he would then know Yuki or I. Even if his memories of us are a dream." He tacked the last part on as an afterthought and the other two men nodded.

"Regardless, what do we do about him?" Yagari inquired, "We can't leave him in the day class with amnesia or whatever the hell this is, and certainly not now since he's no longer anywhere near human."

Cross nodded and turned to Kaname who nodded back.

"We'll have to move him to the Night Class, after he is trained to be able to handle his newly acquired abilities. I can keep the rest of the class in line and they will most likely handle the new turn of events better than humans would."

They all nodded, but still Cross turned back to him.

"Are you sure? Both the Night Class and Zero have clearly established tense relations between one another to say the least."

Kaname waved him off, "He'll use the room next to mine for me to keep a close eye on him and when I'm not present I'll entrust him to Takuma or some of the others in my circle. The only two that would pose any real trouble would be Aido and Ruka, but if I ask it, they will stand down. It will probably be easier for them knowing he doesn't recall anything about them and thus shouldn't cause too much disruption. That, and as he is now a Pureblood they will be expected to treat him with the respect as his due now."

"I hope so," Cross muttered and Yagari seemed to be jonesing for a cigarette.

"I will need a week to teach him how to control his abilities and while I ready the Night Class. I expect you to try and explore his memories more in the meantime."

In the living room, Yuki took the picture frame back from Zero and almost immediately dropped it, cutting her hand open, blood running down her hand to drip onto the wooden floor.

Zero stared at the blood on her hand, entranced by the sight, confused with a burning feeling in his throat and his immediate thirst for the red river the stained Yuki's clothes.

In a flash, Kaname came between the two, surprising Zero by his sudden appearance.

With a sigh, Kaname sent Yuki to the kitchen for the Chairman to clean and treat.

Zero stared up at him from his seated position on the couch.

"You can't drink from her, Kiryu. You would damn her if you did."

His tone was tired, but not snappy or harsh.

"Okay." Zero replied and Kaname sat down in the chair next the couch.

"You will feed from me," Kaname stated and Zero nodded to indicate he understood.

"You are a Pureblood now, and you must know what that entails. It means that you are you are top of the food chain when it comes to our kind, and you must learn to control yourself. I will teach you the ways of our kind, and how to harness your new abilities."

Zero was silent and Kaname moved on.

"The first lesson is to control your aura."

Kaname began to teach the silverette how before moving onto other abilities he would have under his control such as the power to influence and command other to do his bidding.

Over the course of the week Kaname took to training the new Pureblood in the ways of their kind, and they together figured out his personal abilities that differentiated him from other Purebloods.

His first and foremost dealt with healing- and in return he could also make ill another person, even kill them with his gift.

He also held minimal telekinesis like Kaname's own, except at a far less powerful level. His second chief ability was that of precognition they learned as Zero would often times reveal what would happen in the near future before anyone else knew it themselves, and he learned it all during his sleep, his visions coming to him in dreams.

Kaname made it his goal to dissect Zero's memories each time the silverette recovered something new- but time and time again it was often times a memory of some other kind outside of what any of them knew of Zero's life.

On the day before he was due to move into the Moon Dorms, Kaname urged him to search for remembrance particularly strongly that night.

At the end of the evening Zero turned to Kaname.

"I remember Okaa-san. She looked like my brothers and I, I remember talking with her most nights…" He trailed off, lost in thought.

Kaname regaled this back to Cross and Yagari, drawing the two hunters to confusion.

"Zero didn't take after his mother's looks." Yagari stated.

"He took after his father only, just as his father took after his father. Something is definitely off here…" Cross continued.

"Do you think it was possible that Zero is remembering a past life of some sort?"

Kaname played around with the thought when he retired to his bedroom for the day in the Moon Dorms.

Was that really possible?

Then how did he know Yuki was his sister, how did he know she was really a Pureblood? Did his precognition manifest in him in that previous life?

If that was true, who had he been?

He was dead set on finding out.


	4. Losing My Religion

**_A/N: Here is chapter four, its a bit longer than I wanted, but I couldn't find a suitable place to cut it into two even chapters without leaving one as purely filler, so its long. I'm going back to school tomorrow, so if I can't get a chapter done tomorrow, I'll try to get it done by Wednesday, but we'll see how that goes. PLEASE tell me what ya'll think for this chapter, PM me your questions if you have any or leave them in the Reviews and I'll reply as soon as I read them. As always, please REVIEW, Fave, and Follow. Enjoy! :)_**

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4

La Luna

The night had come that he would move to the Moon Dorms and Zero felt a good helping of anxiety at the very idea as he followed Kaname back to the Dorms where he would be living for the foreseeable future.

Cross had sent his things ahead of him including the new uniforms that he would wearing, which he was grateful for- he just wanted to explore his new setting and come to terms with the newness of it all.

Takuma held open the door while he welcomed Zero inside as Kaname entered first.

"Welcome," He said, "I know it's different than the Day Dorms but I think you'll find your way easy enough, Zero-sama."

He nodded silently as Takuma introduced himself and offered to answer any of his questions if he had any. He didn't, but thanked him anyway.

"Escort him to his new room." Kaname bid and Takuma nodded.

"Of course, Kaname-sama."

"When you're done, bring the others to my office."

Takuma nodded dutifully and turned back to Zero.

"Right this way." He led the way upstairs.

"You won't have a roommate." Takuma explained, "And you're things have already been placed in your room for your convenience."

Zero nodded again and they quickly reached his room, Takuma explaining to him where the common room and such were located and where he could find him if he needed any help.

Zero gave a soft smile, "Thank you for your help."

Takuma seemed taken aback by his words, still expecting the old Zero to pop back any time now. It appeared he would be waiting for a while for that to happen if it happened at all.

Takuma left him then, leaving him to get himself settled.

Zero released a breath when he left, forgoing his bags that were sitting unopened beside the dresser in favor of plopping down on the bed.

He sighed.

The inner circle gathered themselves before entering their Prince's office. Kaname had changed out of his uniform and wore instead one of his silk button up shirts and more relaxed formal pair of pants.

"Make yourselves comfortable," He commanded and they did so on the couches that sat on either side of his chair.

"I trust Takuma explained to you all some of the events of the past week."

They nodded.

"I have yet to discover the change in Kiryu, but regardless, he is now a Pureblood and I expect you all to give him the respect you'd give others in my position."

He released a breath, "He remembers nothing of himself, instead he seems to only recall a past life of his."

"How is that possible?" Aido breathed and Kaname waved him off.

"I have yet to figure that myself."

He took a swig from his wine glass.

"It would seem that he has the ability of precognition." Kaname stated and they seemed curious at his words.

"Since he can not recall anything pertaining to this life, he cannot recall his hatred for our kind and you might find this a good reason to try and befriend him. Aido,"

"Yes, Kaname-sama?"

Kaname appeared wistful, "I would like you to try and research what might be afflicting him. See if you can discover any other people who have suffered similarly."

Aido nodded.

Kaname waved them off, "You are dismissed."

They quietly left him alone then and he glanced down at his glass curiously.

He'd had plans to use the ex-human to defeat his Uncle, but clearly he had to make a change in plans.

He hoped the new Pureblood would be worth his trouble.

They gathered themselves in the common room once they left Kaname alone in his office, all of them trying to come to terms with the change in events.

"Takuma, you talked to him, right? Does he really seem changed?" Ruka asked and Takuma nodded.

"Kiryu was respectful, quiet, even amiable when I showed him to his room. It was as if he was a completely different person."

Aidou settled himself into a chair beside the fireplace.

"Do you think he really only remembers a previous life of his?"

Takuma shrugged, "He was quiet, said very little to me when I showed him around. You'd have to talk to him yourself about it."

Aido nodded and Kain looked tired at the thought, knowing they would be staying up past dawn so his cousin could get his answers.

"What do you two think of this?" Takuma asked Shiki and Rima and the two shrugged, but it was easy to see the curiosity in their eyes.

Aido seemed completely and utterly perplexed as he ran the scenarios over and over in his mind.

The rest of the inner circle left the room a few moments later and left the two cousins alone.

"What do you think?" Aido asked and Kain shrugged.

"We'll have to talk to him to figure it out."

It was the night before Zero's first classes as part of the Night Class and he was a bit anxious as he thought of it all.

Sure, he couldn't really know what the differences would be from the Day Class as he couldn't remember his time there at all- but he still worried a bit over it.

But for now he was searching through one of the books Yagari had given to him that documented his family line.

He skimmed through the introduction, quickly coming across the chapter on the origins of his family.

" _The Kiryu's descend from a pureblood and a hunter that had been exiled by his original bloodline, and the hunter took the name Kiryu as he forged a new legacy for himself. The first generation of Kiryu's were the twins Akira and Sato and their younger brother Mika…"_

That was him! He knew deep down that that name belonged to him at one point- he knew that the pureblood had been his mother, Lilly. He didn't know _how_ he knew, but it was as if it were an innate understanding he had.

A knock came at the door then, interrupting his thoughts. He closed the book after dog-earing the page and laid it on his desk before answering.

He was surprised to find Aido and Kain at the door, but let them in regardless after the two cousins made an awkward introduction for themselves.

The two cousins settled themselves in the two chairs by the window, both clearly have just gotten out of class.

They were silent for a moment, waiting for him to break the silence. He didn't really have much to say, though. It wasn't as if he really knew what was going on at the school or anything else for that matter.

"Kiryu." Aido began and Zero shifted to look at him directly from his position on the foot of the bed.

Aido fell silent.

"Yes?"

The genius vampire swallowed, "Do you remember the last time you saw me?"

Zero blinked, searching his memory for any hint of having met the Noble, but failed and shook his head.

Aido sighed, "I don't know if you know this, but you didn't really… like, any of us. But you served as one of the prefects for the school and when you were helping transfer our class to the school you… uh, collapsed."

Zero blinked at him, digging at his mind for anything that might confirm the vampire's statement.

Aido continued, "You were taken to the Nurse's office and Kaname-sama had me watching you and when you um, woke up, you were not yourself."

"Not that you really are now, but you were definitely not yourself then or like you are now."

Zero stared at him blankly for a moment, feeling the taller cousin's eyes on him as the new Pureblood weighed down the blond Noble with the unintentional power of his gaze.

He looked away toward the window and waved Aido on.

It was snowing outside but the moon's light went on unobstructed as it pooled into the room.

 _A flash of burning house, cold soaking through his thin pajamas. He was alone._

Zero blinked and the memory slipped away, back into the recesses of his subconsciousness.

"You were ill, but you demanded that I deliver a message to Kaname-sama. You said you wouldn't remember it yourself so I had to tell him myself."

Zero nodded, "What was the message?"

Aido bit his lip lightly, "Kaname-sama said to keep it quiet for now. Besides, you should just be focusing on figuring yourself out, Zero-sama. Kaname-sama will figure out and ask you if he needs your help with anything, I'm sure."

Zero nodded once more, it made sense to figure his stuff out before getting involved in some greater problem.

"So what do you remember?" Kain asked, speaking up for the first time since entering the room.

Zero blinked and went quiet for a moment.

He looked up at the Noble.

"My name."

"Is that really all?" Aido asked and Zero shook his head.

"I remember some things, but Yuki said that there was no way those were _my_ memories. She said that those things I remembered never happened to me."

He sighed, "She said I have a twin- but I thought I…"

He trailed off.

"I remember having older brothers, but they were both twins, while I was the youngest. I don't remember having a twin named Ichiru, let alone anything else that she and Cross have tried to trigger."

Aido frowned, "What were your brothers' names?"

"Akira and Sato." He pointed to the book on the desk and Aido grabbed it up and flipped to the bookmarked page.

He read through the short section on he and his brothers before looking up.

"So you're Mika? But you remember your name as Zero Kiryu?"

Zero released a long drawn out breath and leaned back on his elbows.

"I know that _was_ my name, and that Zero Kiryu is my actual name now, but…"

"You only have memories of being Mika." Aido filled in and Zero nodded.

"Exactly."

Aido held the book up, "Do you mind if I run this through a copier? I can give it back to you tomorrow night before class."

Zero waved it off, "Sure. I mean what else can the book tell me about that life other than what I already know, right? Anyway, the book is only the first volume for the Kiryu line. They ended the series at my grandparents. Apparently they were waiting for a few more generations to do another."

They fell silent for a few moments before switching to lighter topics as the cousins tried to get to know the newly turned Pureblood.

Zero for his part was at first reserved before switching to amusement when Aido joked around a bit to get him to relax.

It was easy to relax around the blond and his cousin.

Kain for his part was a bit reserved as well but slowly made his way into the conversation. His quick wit was quieter than most, but as Zero spent the rest of the night with the two cousins he could pick up on Kain's sense of humor and Aido's willingness to help, impressed by both of their intelligence.

He was alone in his room the next night donning his uniform when the cousins appeared at his door, Aido knocking briefly before sweeping inside with all the grace of a southern lady, defending himself from his cousin's remark.

"I am _not_ , Akatsuki, and I am gravely offended that you would think so ill of me!"

He plopped himself down on the chair he had declared his own as Kain snorted in reply.

Aido looked up at Zero and gave him an appraising look.

"You look good in the uniform," He complimented and Zero gave him a soft smile in reply.

"Thanks."

Kain placed the borrowed book back on his desk and released a sigh.

"Don't get comfortable, Hana. We have class."

Aido waved him off, "We have time."

Kain scanned the room for a clock and shook his head at the time.

"No, we really don't." He looked at Zero then and approached him, readjusting his tie like a mother hen before nodding in approval.

"Come on, you two. You know Kaname-sama doesn't like it when we're late."

Aido sighed and swung himself to his feet and Zero followed the two cousins out, shutting the door to his room quietly with a soft murmur as his hand released the handle.

"What was that?" Kain asked and Zero released a breath.

"Ward. It's the strangest thing, I can remember skills and how to apply them, just not how I know them. Well, other than the stuff I learned from my mother."

Aido had already marched himself down the hall and turned to glance back at them with impatience shining in his blue eyes.

Kain and Zero shook their heads and followed him down the hall and down the stairs to the front foyer, where everyone was waiting for Kaname and Takuma to join them.

Aido dragged Zero into the corner where the inner circle had gathered, introducing them to the silverette whose memory was not sparked by their faces in the least.

Ruka narrowed her eyes on him, searching him for any sign of insincerity as he talked with Shiki and Rima about their work and busy schedules.

Shiki seemed sleepy as always, but replied in his usual short and sweet form while Rima elaborated over the areas he covered.

Ruka didn't know what to think of the changed Zero Kiryu, especially not since Kain had come to her the night before they went to sleep for the day and talked to her about his time with the Pureblood Zero. Aido had broken into the room and filled her in further, much to his annoyance.

They both appeared taken with the former prefect, revealing his lack of memory of this life but instead his memory of a past one as one of his current self's ancestors.

"How was that ward performed?" Aido prodded and the silverette seemed to shake himself out of thought to reply.

"Incantation. My mother taught my brothers and I old magic that she had learned over time. She was the one to introduce magic-wielding into the Kiryu line."

"About that," Aido began, "In the book it said she was a Pureblood, do you know which line she came from?"

Zero thought it over for a moment.

"She was the progenitor of the Kazuma and the Hiou."

"Wait, your mother was a progenitor?" Ruka breathed

"Well, not my mother in this life I don't think. My original mother's name was Lilly, though my father was a Hunter exiled from one of the first clans. From what I can gather all blood Kiryus take after my mother's looks. From what I can recall neither my brothers nor I looked anything like my father."

Zero released a breath and the others fell quiet for a few moments before Takuma, Seiren, and Kaname descended the stairs to lead the escort from the Dorms to the school building.

Takuma pulled Zero away to stand just behind Kaname in the line out of the Dorms, instructing him quietly on his position in the Night Class and where he was to stand and such. Zero nodded at his words and they were silent for a few moments as they drew near the gates.

"Is the screaming a normal thing?" Zero breathed, his ears ringing with the feminine squeals on the other side of the gate.

"Ah… yes." Takuma replied, "It will only get worse when Aido encourages them."

It was _when_ , and not if, Zero could know just by having spoken with the cousins.

The gates opened then and within a minute, the crowd of Day Class girls had silenced, their eyes staring down on him as whispers broke out among them.

 _"Kiryu? What's he doing in the Night Class?"_

 _"He hated the Night Class, what's he doing with them now?"_

 _"You got to admit Mori, he does look good in the uniform!"_

The girls quickly gained back their clarity and within a moment were back to screaming and squealing and no doubt giving him a headache.

On each side of the crowd two girls held the Day Class girls back. One of them Yuki and the other a friend of hers that she had mentioned was going to take over his former position as prefect, Yori.

Kaname stopped briefly ahead for a few moments to talk with Yuki but rejoined the class as they headed for the school.

It surprised Zero when Yuki grabbed his hand and pulled him away from the main body of the class as the Day Class finally dissipated back to their heated dorms.

"Zero?" She spoke and he glanced down at her as she released his hand once they were a few feet off to the side of his class.

"Have you remembered anything yet?"

Zero shook his head, "No, but I'm sure I will eventually."

Yuki appeared saddened at his lack of memory and he pulled them to a stop, letting his class get a few feet ahead.

A few tears slid down her cheeks and he tried his best to comfort her.

"Hey, it's okay, Yuki. Don't cry…" His brows furrowed.

He patted her on the head.

"Besides, we can just use it as an excuse to visit more often!" He offered and she gave a soft laugh in reply.

"You've always sucked when it comes to crying people." She joked and he grinned.

She wiped her tears away, "Whenever I'd start crying you'd escape into the kitchen and come out an hour later with so much food it was ridiculous."

She frowned.

"What's wrong?" He asked and her frown deepened.

"I just realized I'll be stuck with the Chairman's cooking."

He laughed, "It can't be that bad, can it?"

She cocked her brows, "Uh huh. You just didn't have the opportunity to realize that yourself last week because apparently you, in all your chefly glory, still have a natural way about a kitchen."

He grinned at her again and gave her a hug.

"I'll come by this weekend to hang out and cook, how about that?"

She beamed at him in reply before shooing him back to his class where everyone was entering the school.

Zero was the last one into class and sat down in the only empty seat beside Kaname as Yagari entered the room and began his lecture.

Soon, he found himself nodding off until he felt himself slip away into a vision.

 _He was in a field, lying in a woman's arms._

 _She was fair and radiant, the moon's light casting a halo about her silver hair that was so like his own._

 _He almost mistook her for Lilly in that moment but as he continued to search her perfect features he glimpsed small features that his mother had never bore- laugh lines, small dimples and a light about her eyes that he remembered being a part of his own so very long ago._

 _"My son," She said, "I have missed you during your time in the Sun. My daughter's husband, your father, once hid you from me- but I have found you and I will never let you leave my sights again."_

 _She had a glow about her skin, almost as if she were the moon made incarnate._

 _The flowers around them were moonflowers, bright and open under the direct eyes of their Mistress and he knew that she was La Luna. The Moon herself._

 _She ran her hands through his hair, gently rubbing his head as he felt her aura sweep over him._

 _Strength, Hope, and Love all circulated through his blood now and he could feel her healing energy flow through him in steady waves of peace._

 _"I must ask you something, my son." She breathed and he nodded, his eyelids falling closed as he became lost in the sensation of her massage._

 _"Would you sacrifice your life for a brief, brilliant love?" She asked._

 _Memories of the dreams he had when he was younger circulated through his mind then, dreams of Yuki as she was in his visions, a Pureblood like her brother who he was sure was a changed Kaname- much happier than he currently was outside of his visions. Flashes of two children, a boy and a girl with brown hair with eyes and skin like his own, playing in a garden with another set of children with blond hair and wine colored eyes who both had Yuki's bright smile._

 _"Yes."_

 _He voiced his reply and then the vision dissolved into shadows as her last words rang out._

 _"Lilly gave you life once, but I give you power. Use it well."_

The vision cleared from his eyes and he found himself back in the classroom where some of the others were staring at him with looks of 'we're waiting'.

"Zero, I'll ask again. What do we know of the Climate Change?" Yagari cocked a brow at him.

Zero blinked, "It was brought about by the previous humans of the age past and triggered the beginning of the Vampire Race."

Yagari accepted the answer and turned back to the blackboard, continuing where he left on in the lecture. It took a moment, but his classmates turned back to face the front.

He could feel the other Pureblood's eyes on him.

"Was it a vision?" he asked quietly and Zero swallowed in reply.

"Maybe, I don't know what to make of it yet."

That class soon ended and he felt himself slipping back into a slumber as the second teacher came in to take over.

He managed to stay somewhat awake till halfway through where he felt his head rebound on the desk top as he passed out.

The teacher's annoyed comment made its way to his ears as he was sucked into another vision.

"Kiryu, nice to know you're keeping up your habits of sleeping in my class."

But he was already out like a light.

 _"You seem distressed." Zero commented, rubbing circles on his distended abdomen._

 _"Yuki was not supposed to transform this early. Nothing is going according to plan. Not since you changed." Kaname admitted and Zero nodded, inhaling harshly as one of the twins gave a swift kick against his hand while the other began to move as well._

 _"My uncle no doubt grows stronger by the day. Your twin appears to be his most loyal servant so I've no doubt he'll soon attain his true body once more. He has already taken Senri, and I have reason to believe that he'll begin his final battle here, at the academy."_

 _Zero nodded, it made sense._

 _That's where they all were, where Kaname kept his seat of power. He'd want to bring it home to hit the hardest._

 _"His use of the Council needs to be put to an end." Zero stated and Kaname nodded._

 _They were sitting in his office, Kaname with a drink in hand beside him._

 _It was scotch and Zero wished he could partake himself._

 _But he had the twins to worry about._

 _"If we eliminate the Council it would in the process put a huge hole in his plans to ascend to the throne himself. If he has no supporters, even if he succeeds, he won't succeed for long."_

 _Kaname nodded and Zero could spot his mate playing around with the possibilities in his mind, thinking a mile a minute as he ruled out several paths to take._

 _Then, the vision shifts and he is in the field once more. Luna stands above him, her beautiful features contorted into bloodthirsty wrath and bitter disgust._

 _"I have given you a brother in this life and if he perishes, so shall you, my son."_

The final bell awakened him from his visionary dreams and he took a sharp inhale as he took in his surroundings.

What could it all lead to?


	5. Smells Like Teen Spirit

**_A/N: So I did end up getting this chapter done before tomorrow, so here's hoping I stick to that roll I'm apparently on. Thank you to everyone that's reviewed, ya'll are great and I'm glad ya'll are enjoying so far. Anyway, please REVIEW, Fave, and Follow and of course, enjoy. :)_**

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5

Taken

Soon enough they were back at the Moon Dorms and just as Zero went to shower, a knock came at the door to his room.

At least he was still dressed.

Seiren, Kaname's loyal bodyguard, waited outside and he followed her to Kaname's room across the hall. She announced his presence and directed him to go inside before closing the door and taking up watch again.

Kaname was sitting in a chair in a sitting area next to a roaring fireplace, a glass of scotch in his hand. He downed the glass before offering a glass to the silverette which Zero accepted.

"Tell me about the visions you had tonight."

Zero perched himself on the couch facing the fire beside the brown haired Pureblood. He sipped the glass for a few moments before beginning.

"It was confusing, like too much was coming on at once. There was only one that I could make any sense of and that one centered around a disruption in your plans."

Kaname cocked a brow at him, "How so?"

Zero sighed and took a swig.

"I know that Yuki is a Pureblood and that she transforms earlier than you expected she would. Which disrupts the plan to fight your… uncle, I think. Rido was his name."

Kaname withheld any reaction, instead downing his second glass and pouring another before offering to top off Zero's own.

Zero nodded and they both sat in silence for a while, both of them present in body but not in mind.

Kaname, for his part, was musing quietly over the developments. He found himself grateful for the silverette's gift- it would ensure he had a warning when something new developed. Now, he could begin to draw up securities for his former currently destructing plans.

Zero was silent beside him, nursing his second glass before pouring himself another and the room was quiet except for the soft _clink_ of the decanter.

 _He's nothing like how I expected before,_ Zero mused, his thoughts dissecting his past visions of the Pureblood Prince.

He had thought that he would meet Kaname through maybe a gathering of some sort- maybe even just… he had no clue, he just never thought he would meet his mate in truth. It had scared him so long ago when he was bound by his father- that binding sickening his form till he was a step away from death's door- he had thought he would never meet him or his sister. He, even at the young age of thirteen when he died, had mourned his lost chance at happiness. He had mourned his lost love, his family that he had never truly been a part of, his mother, who had left him to his fate, he had even mourned the twins he thought might never be born.

Yet, now he was given a second chance and he could suppose giving up this lifetime's memories in favor of the ones he held so long ago was worth it. Even if he never ended up recovering them.

He downed his third glass and held it out for the other Pureblood to fill as he refilled his own glass.

"I remember having visions of you two when I was younger- well, not in this life, but in another." Zero admitted and Kaname hummed.

"Tell me about that life of yours." Kaname invited and Zero let out a wry laugh.

"There isn't really much for me to tell you. I was the youngest of three brothers. My older brothers, a set of twins, were named Akira and Sato. They were three years older than I was, I believe. My mother's name was Lilly- she was a Pureblood vampire while my father was Hiro, a Hunter who had been exiled from his original clan. My father despised me- I wasn't cut out to be a Hunter and I was 'overly reliant' on the goodwill of the vampires I had come across when I had gone out with my mother. When my mother left us it was the day after my tenth birthday and my brothers had been bound the night after."

"Bound?"

Zero pursed his lips for a moment before relaxing, "My father bound their vampire sides- it got rid of any actual thirst for blood but still allowed them use of their abilities as half bloods."

Kaname leaned back in his brown leather chair, "Did he do that to you as well?"

Zero shook his head, "He didn't until my thirteenth birthday. But when he did it, it didn't work and my body was at war with itself for weeks before I finally died."

He sighed, "I almost felt relieved when I knew I was at the end. I had kept coming in and out of visions every time I slept. I could hardly tell the difference between visions and reality."

"Did you have any regrets?"

"Yes, but they were all from visions that I had no way of knowing wouldn't come to fruition during that life."

Kaname nodded.

He had appeared to relax finally as he seemed to finally feel the effects of the alcohol. Zero wasn't far off himself.

"When we were younger, before Haruka and Juri were killed, we had hidden Yuki away from the whole of vampire society. Its part of what made her change to human so easy to hide- they never knew that Haruka and Juri had a daughter they had kept hidden away." Kaname spoke softly, almost musing.

"I remember how innocent she was- even more so than she is now. I've tried to keep it that way for so long, she was so good and pure and everything our kind is not and I found it addicting to be in her presence. I had taken so much care to place her with Cross even before the plans for the school were made official. Everything I've done I've done for her."

He chuckled, "But you- you always thought I was poison for her. I suppose you'll be proven right when she is awakened."

He downed his drink, "I always admired that about you, Kiryu. The more people you lose, the more protective of your favored people. For some reason I've never been able to feel that for anyone other than Yuki."

He frowned when he went to refill with the empty decanter before pull out a new bottle, this time of whiskey.

Instead of taking up the chair again, the brown haired Pureblood sat beside him on the couch with the bottle in hand as he refilled his glass with the other. He handed the bottle to Zero, who did the same before putting it on the side table.

"You know, one of the first visions I got of you two was when she was really young. A level E was chasing her and you stopped it. I think that's why she idolizes you even without her memories."

He took a swig from his glass, "You claim that you're not good, but if you weren't you wouldn't be so dead set on protecting her."

Kaname cocked a brow at him, "Your brothers never protected you?"

Zero shook his head, his eyes fixated on the fire.

"Akira couldn't stand me but Sato tolerated me enough to make polite conversation occasionally… well, if he was having a good day. When he had a bad day he took to Akira's lead. Akira, from what I could gather, hated me just as much as our father did."

"Didn't you have any friends?"

Zero shook his head, "We lived in a hunter commune and hunters usually grow up with very little tolerance to people that don't fit their standards. It was why it surprised me when Cross said I was a hunter before everything. When he explained that I was an ex-human I wondered why they hadn't sent someone to kill me. They did that with some of the hunters from the commune."

"I suppose Cross still holds enough influence with the Association that you were protected from it." Kaname stated and Zero nodded.

"Besides," Zero went on, "If you weren't good I'd be surprised. Anyone who sees you around Yuki could never genuinely say that you weren't. And I don't think your inner circle would be following you at this point if you weren't."

Kaname sighed and shook his head, "Lesser level vampires are always simpering for attention from Purebloods. It was another thing I admired you for; you were a level D but stood up to me, even challenging my actions whenever you believed I had flawed."

Zero scoffed, "How else do people learn? If someone is never challenged, they can never learn to better themselves. It goes against the very idea of growth."

Kaname took a swig of his own and reached over Zero to grab hold of the neck of the bottle and refill his glass.

Zero felt himself blush at the closeness between them as they went silent and continued to drink until the bottle was empty.

He was uncomfortably hot in the minutes that followed and he undid his tie and slid off his jacket.

Kaname watched him with a close eye, "Are you leaving?"

Zero stood on shaky feet, he had drunk more than he should of.

He nodded and made for the door, surprised when he was suddenly thrown to the wall, the brown haired Pureblood's body pressed against his own. Kaname's breath was warm on his throat and he felt the older vampire nip at his neck.

"Tell me, Zero. Do I challenge you?"

His breath hitched and he let out a small groan as he felt Kaname's hands nimbly undo the buttons of his shirt. Kaname's mouth travelled down his neck to his chest, nipping at sucking at his goosebumped flesh.

Zero's hands found their way into his hair, pulling him back up to latch his lips against his, their tongues battling for dominance which Kaname inevitably won. Zero bit the other Pureblood's lip, drawing blood and hastening each other on.

All too soon they were in the bed, each of them stripped of their clothes and shoes, hands travelling about one another, teeth marking up the other's warm flesh.

He wished he knew where Kaname's head was in this- but he couldn't bring himself to question what brought it on.

Kaname ran his hands down his body and wrapped one of them around Zero's length which was already hard from his previous ministrations.

"I want you." He said and Zero groaned with a small nod.

Kaname pushed his other hand into the silverette's mouth, Zero quickly licking each of his fingers before the brown haired Pureblood began to prepare his entrance.

Within moments he was inside of him and they were both groaning as Kaname picked up his thrusts. Zero pushed himself up onto his elbows and seized his partner's lips with his own, nipping and sucking and teasing as Kaname's hands gripped his hips hard, his nails more like claws as they drew blood.

Soon enough they both reached their climaxes, but they were soon back at it again and again and again until exhaustion took them both.

In the early evening of the next night, Kaname had been the first one to awaken and recollect what happened.

The blasted warmth and lust still ate at him, distracting him from all logic as he gave in and trailed his mouth up the silverette's neck.

Zero hummed as he came awake under the Pureblood Prince's attention.

He too, felt the same warmth and lust that had plagued them both the night before.

His spine ached but still he urged Kaname on.

"Take me."

Kaname rolled onto his knees and pulled the silverette's hips on top of his, sliding back into his warm channel just as a wave of bloodlust hit them both.

Their eyes brightened as a toxic-red overcame them, their canines elongating into sharp points, as thirst bit at them and demanded they exchange blood.

Something was off, Kaname could tell in the back of his mind, where his logic resided. He ignored his good sense for the time being as Zero rose up to nip at his throat as if pleading for his blood. Kaname gave his reply when he bit into the other Pureblood's neck after numbing the area slightly.

Zero fed from him in return, both of them shocked at how well they both took to the other's blood.

Zero's blood tasted to Kaname of strawberries and rich chocolate with hints of apple and lemon that made Zero have a unique taste about him. So delicious was his blood was that he had completely forgotten himself in it.

Kaname's blood tasted of dark wine and pomegranate, sensual and alluring and Zero found himself addicted to it.

It was a burning, scalding pain that caused the two of them to break away.

Kaname first noticed the mark on Zero's chest as opposed to his own.

It was a crest framed of rose thorns and crimson roses that had been a staple of the Kuran manor gardens for as long as he had been alive, even evident in his original lifetime as well.

The crest sat over the Pureblood's heart and Kaname felt for the first time in a long time panic.

Zero seemed captivated by Kaname's chest in return- a crest in the shape of Sun with a moon sitting within. The radiant gold and the brightly shining silver entranced him and when he finally drew himself back to look at the brown haired Pureblood.

"What is this?"


	6. Hate Me

**_A/N: Okay, so really short chapter here, but I plan on writing more when I get home, so rest assured, there will be more coming soon tonight (hopefully). As always, please REVIEW, Fave, and Follow :) I hope you enjoy and let me know what you think!_**

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6

Result

He was in the Kaname's shower, glad that the other Pureblood's blood had lessened his aches from the night before. He scrubbed at his skin with a fierce hand, thinking back to the way Kaname left him as soon as he answered the silverette's question.

"It's a mating mark," He had replied, his voice harsh and devoid of emotion, his mask cracking around the edges and providing Zero with a view of his frustration as he pulled away and left him alone in the bed.

Was this really how they ended up mated to one another?

He had yearned for that moment so much in his previous life, excited at the prospect, at the very idea of how amazing it would be.

It was amazing, but it was not intentional and he found himself distraught at the realization that Kaname did not want this. He hated the idea that he had trapped him in this relationship, not that he had known what to expect when it came to vampire mating. He had been blissfully ignorant and he found himself fraught with guilt over the whole thing.

Kaname should have known, though. So it wasn't entirely his fault, but still, he scrubbed harder at his reddened skin, leaving only the healing mark on his chest untouched.

He had never known what had led to him being mated with Kaname, his visions oh-so-politely ignoring the subject.

He shut the water off and stepped out of the shower, drying off with a towel when his mark began to burn once more. He let out a hiss at the pain, sliding his pants from the night before back on.

He came out of the bathroom, releasing some of the steam into the air as he made his way back into the sitting area where Kaname was perched back in his chair from the night before, wearing a pair of formal pants and an unbuttoned silk shirt.

He held up his glass, "Someone spiked the whiskey."

For a moment the spiteful self-loathing kicked in. Of course, the whiskey was spiked- he never would have had sex with him otherwise.

"Who would do that?" Zero asked, biting back the hurt, unwilling to risk the other Pureblood sensing it.

Kaname shrugged, "I don't know yet, but I always find answers so rest assured, they will come to light sooner rather than later."

Kaname placed the glass back down on the table and stared the silverette down.

"I sensed something in your blood." He announced and Zero sat down on the couch.

"What did you sense?"

"I am almost certain that you are what Purebloods refer to as a Bride."

Zero felt his head cock to the side unwittingly. What did he mean?

Kaname sighed, "It means that you can, even as a male, fulfill a female's position in a mated pair- able to reproduce and carry a child to term."

He was silent for a moment before nodding.

It made sense when taken into account with his visions. That was why he had been pregnant in them.

He could feel Kaname's eyes on him even as he faced his own amethyst ones on the flickering flames of the fireplace.

His mate's feelings began to radiate to him through their young bond- a furious frustration that was clearly eating at him as he had so obviously a lapse in control.

"Yuki and I have been engaged since she was young- you do know this will crush her when she awakens, do you not Kiryu?"

Zero was silent, even as surprise ricocheted through him. For some reason he had never picked up on Yuki's obsession with Kaname until it was pointed out to him. He had never in a vision come across her objecting to their mating- but then again, in most visions their relationship had been more advanced.

"What, Kiryu? Didn't notice? You seem to be quite dense without your memories." He mocked, his voice bitter and tense.

Zero flinched at his mocking words but Kaname shrugged it off.

Where was the Kaname from the night before? Had it all just been the whiskey when he opened up to him?

"It appears we'll have to learn to work around the bond until we discover the full extent of your position as a Bride."

Zero looked back to the fire and sighed, standing up and finding the rest of his uniform and throwing on his shirt.

"We'll take the rest of the night off," Kaname stated, "I'll get Aido to help you research your condition."

Zero nodded and left the room, Kaname staring outside the window at the moon in thought as he left.

It had been a four weeks since then and Aido had been in Zero's room for most of it, researching away with piles of books in the small sitting area, tapping his pen on his temple repetitively.

Zero groaned and dragged himself out of bed, nearly collapsing onto the floor as he made his way to the bathroom to puke again.

His head felt like a boxing ring, throbbing incessantly again and again from all the visions he had been coming in and out of.

 _This has got to stop soon, right?_

It felt so similar to his sickness from the binding that he was almost terrified of dying again from it.

He stood up from the floor and promptly fell back onto his knees.

"Aido, a little help, please?"

Aido, apparently not having noticed that the Pureblood was sick, found his way to the bathroom, his eyes going comically wide at the sight of an ill Pureblood.

"Zero-sama, what's wrong?"

He helped the taller vampire stand, pulling him back over to the bed as he supported the Pureblood's weight.

"Sick," Zero muttered in a daze, his skin breaking out into cold sweats while it felt like he was coming to a boil inside.

He pulled his shirt off, drawing Aido's eyes to the mark that had healed perfectly over his heart.

The Noble snapped at him, "You're mated to Kaname-sama? Why?"

Zero slid under the sheets, tossing the blanket to the side as he whispered out his response as he slipped into another vision.

"Accident," He murmured as he slipped away into another dream, another vision.

Aido calmed down from his surprise, guilt eating at him for his snappy tone to the silverette he had come to befriend. He dropped his pen on the table where he had been perched with another slowly eroding book he had been sifting through.

He left the room quietly, returning an hour later with a plastic bag from the closest pharmacy.

Alone with the Pureblood in the room, Aido quickly awakened the dreaming vampire, forcing him into the bathroom to take the discrete pregnancy tests that he hoped would work.

Ten minutes later Zero opened the door and Aido helped him back to bed, where the silverette had taken up residence for the past two nights.

Aido found himself back in the bathroom as the tests gave out their reading.

'Pregnant +'

Aido left the room and absconded to his Prince's private office, knocking on the door as patiently as he could.

"Come in." Kaname invited and the blond Noble quickly entered and closed the door.

"Kaname-sama?"

"Yes, Aido. What have you learned?"

Aido shook his head, "Not much accounts for Brides in the history books. The few records state that when found, they are often killed by warring factions who both or more want them. But that's not what I had to tell you."

Kaname cocked a brow at him and dropped his pen on the desk top.

"Well, what is it?"

"Zero-sama appears to be pregnant."


	7. If You Could Only See

**_A/N: Okay, so here's a chapter from Kaname's POV, I made a slight time jump. But basically what happened during the time jump was Kaname avoiding Zero outside of class for a couple of weeks, trying to come to terms with the mate bond they now share, Zero taking sick during the third week. This chapter is short, like Six but again, I'm going to try to knock out another one tonight. Anyway, hope ya'll enjoy. Please REVIEW, Follow and Fave :) Let me know what ya'll think._**

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7

The Beginnings of Love

Kaname stood outside the door silently for a moment, not waiting for entrance but because for a few moments he was simply daunted by the idea of seeing Zero for the first time outside of class since they had unwittingly mated.

No one had noticed them slowly taking on each other's scents- Zero's biting mint and Kaname's dark musk- but it was only a matter of time. Aido had already discovered it, and while he didn't doubt that the blond Noble would try and keep it to himself, even Kaname could admit that it was only a matter of time.

He knew if Rido caught word of it his uncle would no doubt switch from Yuki to his new mate if purely just to eliminate him using Zero. If one of them died the other would immediately feel it, he knew. It was simply the way of mates that the other would soon seek to be one with them again in the afterlife.

He had been hiding away from the silverette if he was honest- he had tried desperately to deny it all but his senses craved the other now and he was slowly sinking beneath of wave of the bond's demands.

He had thought that if he denied it that maybe it would dissolve but he should have known better. He was smarter than that and he felt like a sulking child when he thought of it.

Dammit, he was better than this! He was the Kuran Ancestor, granted he lacked quite a few of his memories, but he had been King, and he was going to be again, even if he had to readjust his plans to ensure it with Zero's visions on his side.

He knocked on the door and slid inside without waiting, which was good considering the fact that the silver haired Pureblood was asleep.

Aido's piles of books surrounded the couch in the sitting area, a notebook and pen lying open next to the book that he had laid on its face.

He slowly walked further into the room, his eyes scanning the area.

Zero's room was sparse but made comfortable with the coloring that the maids had designed for him before he arrived. Books that were clearly his own filled a bookshelf, some of their spines worn and decaying from use over ages.

There were pictures on his desk of his family in this life- the very one that Kaname had caused to be destroyed. A ghost of guilt passed over him just thinking of it all. He had been planning to use him then leave him to rot, taking Yuki away for them to start their lives apart from where she had lived her human life.

It would have ate at the ex-human, Kaname knew. Zero before all of this had clearly loved Yuki- anyone could tell just by watching him interact with her compared to the few Day Class girls that had been brave enough to speak up and attempt to ask him out.

It had been almost comedic to see the discomfort on his face, Yuki trying desperately trying to push him toward the girls in any way she could. It never worked, though.

Zero was lying contorted into a ball beneath a thin sheet, his skin sweating even though it was cold beneath his fingers as he pushed an unruly silver wave out of his eyes.

His eyes were shut tight in seeming unease, his lips forming a strict line.

He stirred beneath Kaname's touch.

"Luna…" he muttered and tears began to flow down his cheeks.

Kaname pulled away.

'The Moon demands payment in the form of sacrifice' Aido had told him, apparently the old Zero's last words.

What could it mean?

Zero began to blink softly, relaxing as he awakened before Kaname's eyes.

He looked at Kaname- his eyes exhausted and nervous.

"Am I awake?" He asked him and Kaname's lips quirked into a small smile.

"Yes."

Zero appeared relieved.

"I wish I had your gift," Kaname said and Zero scoffed lightly.

"It's a bit of a headache and I have no real control of what I see."He paused, "All I really have control of is my choosing to remember my visions."

Kaname smirked, "Would you show me if you could?"

Zero was silent, "That depends. Would you really want to know, even if it's painful?"

Kaname went silent for a moment, but the light smile on his face didn't fade. "You have the ability to prevent things before they happen-change the future, would you deny me that ability as well?"

Zero seemed to think it over before he rushed out of the bed and to the bathroom, his head bent over the toilet as he dry heaved- his food long since gone.

He was kneeling over the toilet when Kaname followed him in, gently rubbing his back to relax him.

It did the trick and he crawled his way back up to the vanity and gargled some mouthwash before spitting it out into the sink and nearly collapsed back onto the floor if Kaname hadn't caught him.

"Are you thirsty?" Kaname asked, not missing the red haze his mates eyes took on at the very softly spoken question.

He laughed lightly and the silver haired Pureblood let out a soft growl.

"You sound like an angry kitten." Kaname stated and Zero relaxed and let him help him back into bed, scooting over as he slid inside where Kaname pulled him up along his body to hold his head up to his neck.

Zero wasted no time and quickly numbed the area before sinking his fangs in and beginning to feed. It strengthened their bond and both of them could feel it keenly as it surged back to life violently.

 _Kaname blinked and suddenly he was not in Zero's room , but in his own except he wasn't himself. He was keenly aware that he was in his mates body as his unique presence surrounded him, his emotions flowing unfiltered to him._

 _Zero rolled over and he saw himself through Zero's eyes, surprised at the love that clearly pulsed through the bond to him in the vision._

 _Zero bit out a grunt as he felt a kick coming from inside his body._

 _Kaname in the vision laughed and Zero lightly glared at him, "I'm so glad my pain amuses you."_

 _The words were irritated but they both knew that he was equally as amused through their shared bond._

 _Kaname laughed again and Zero smirked, rising up to straddle him, kissing a trail up his chest to where his mark lay, nipping at it lightly. His belly was aligned with his mates when one of the twins gave a good, solid kick, surprising the both of them._

" _Looks like someone's going to be a cockblock." Zero joked and the vision slipped away into shadows and Kaname, still in the vision with Zero, found himself in Zero's body yet again in a field of flowers where a fair woman bearing Zero's looks sat above them._

 _She ran her hands through his hair._

 _It was day in this vision and her glow, which for some reason he knew was brightest at night, was quieter and somehow she appeared near mortal._

" _I am excited for you, my son. Soon you will know the happiness that a child brings a parent, and I have no doubt that soon you will surpass even my expectations."_

 _She went silent before, "Your father is quite irritated with me for taking you away from him. He is putting up quite a fight and I fear I will not be strong enough to protect you."_

 _Zero reached out and ran a hand down her face, wiping away her tears._

" _You don't have to be afraid for me, I am happy and safe with Kaname and you shouldn't worry for me. You'll get wrinkles," He joked._

 _She laughed, "I suppose you are right, dearest."_

 _The vision dispersed into mist._

Zero pulled away from him after licking the wound clean, curling into him as he fell back asleep, hopefully to gain the rest he needed.

Kaname was left tired as well, and for now he settled himself into the bed with Zero, his mates form wrapping around him like a child would a teddy bear.

And they slept.


	8. No Surprise

**_A/N: Here is today's chapter- I hope ya'll enjoy and let me know what ya'll think. As always, please REVIEW, Fave, and Follow! :)_**

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8

Regret, Comfort, & Denial

Zero was the first one of them to awaken a few hours later, nuzzling the other's arm with his face as he inhaled Kaname's dark scent- relaxing him and putting him at ease. He savored it all for a few moments- the recovery he had made from his mate's blood, and just being with the man he had adored a lifetime over. It was a marvellous feeling and he was reluctant to move from his place.

Hygiene demanded that he did, however, as he had been lamenting most of the week in bed with the same pants on as he sweated out his seemingly temporary sickness.

He slid out of bed carefully, so as not to wake his mate and made his way to the bathroom, slipping off his pants before he closed the door and turned on the shower.

Kaname awakened moments later to the sound of the water running in the bathroom, Zero's minty scent rolling out from beneath the door with the steam. For a moment he found himself craving more of it, a primal desire that had almost no real part in his life now.

The visions felt like ghosts in his mind now, slipping away from his mind as he reflected on them.

He had been happy in the first, Zero at his side- his mate's pregnancy advanced. Zero had been blissfully happy during the vision as well, love radiating from the inside out when he looked at Kaname who seemed equally in love with the silverette.

The second vision he couldn't yet decipher, though he knew the woman in the vision was connected with the old Zero's final warning.

The bond was invading his mind and he found he could think of little else.

It was all too much for him at the moment- it weighed on him heavily and the bond seemed to poison all of his logic, making his thoughts of Zero frequent and uncontrollable, invading his senses and his work, making it near impossible to get anything done.

He instinctively wanted to fight against it- deny that it had ever happened, that he hadn't mated with his former enemy and lost his dear Yuki in the process.

So he did- he set about putting it aside from his mind, denying it to the fullest extent of his abilities, hopefully eroding its power over him.

In the bathroom, Zero clenched his hand against his chest as he braced himself against the shower wall, his mark burning up beneath his hand in pain.

He could feel Kaname through the bond in great turmoil, then hardened by resolve before the bond seemed to hollow out from beneath him and he nearly dropped to his knees.

He was denying it- the bond and because of that Zero felt weak and apathetic- hollow just as his side of the bond was without his other half.

He collapsed in the shower, his hair drenched in the warm water that began to turn cold and pushed him to escape back to his room.

He dried off slowly, every movement he made seemed slow and fatigued as the bond weighed on him. Every breath he took ached, every step he took was heavy- his mind the only somewhat alert part of him.

Zero made his way back into the bedroom, pulling on another pair of sleep pants before stripping and redressing the bed.

When he was finished, he found himself sitting by the fireplace as fire crackled within, giving him some semblance of warmth and making him lose track of time.

A knock at the door stirred him and he quickly invited whoever it was inside.

Aido walked into the room, sitting back on the couch before his books and notebook and for a time, attempted to work.

Eventually, he shut his books and looked up at him, "Are you okay, Zero-sama? Your aura is dark."

Zero inhaled harshly, "No. I am not okay by any means."

"What's wrong?" Aido swallowed down his apprehension as he sifted through the Pureblood's despairing aura.

Zero sighed and moved his gaze up to the ceiling.

He would not cry, damn him!

"He is trying to reject the bond, I can feel it." Zero revealed and Aido appeared shocked.

He knew just how painful that would be for both parties from his parents- the whole thing between them resulting in his mother's death when he was still young.

He couldn't hazard a guess at his Prince's behavior- the Pureblood, his Bride, was pregnant and the pregnancy had to be fostered by the father's blood to proceed safely.

"I'm sorry," Aido whispered and Zero wiped at his dark amethyst eyes.

"Does it hurt you?" Aido asked and Zero shook his head.

"Not physically other than fatigue- but emotionally everything feels hollow, though I can sense him suffering from his choice on his side, as shrivelled as it is. Mentally, I don't know what to do, Hanabusa."

Aido looked away and nodded. A few minutes later he seemed to give up on getting any work done tonight and handed Zero a shirt from the bureau as he left the room.

He came back twenty minutes later with a ridiculously-sized pile of blankets and pillows in his arms- the pile covering his face from view as he entered again. He carefully wrapped the silver haired Pureblood in several blankets and pushed him onto the couch, turning on the TV before departing once again to re-enter with two cartons of mint chocolate chip ice cream and spoons.

They were both watching The Princess Bride for the third time when Takuma found them, Yuki following him inside Zero's room. The two vampires were both wrapped up in blankets, Aido shoveling ice cream into his face as tears made his way down his handsome face from the scene where Buttercup considered suicide.

Zero had begun to cry too, much quieter and more discreet than the Noble.

Takuma quickly left the room and gathered the others who made their way into the room to find Yuki wrapped together with Zero in his blankets, hugging him tightly to her as if to console him.

The inner circle settled themselves in the small sitting area, Rima and Shiki on the floor in front of the couch eating pocky while Ruka did Rima's nails. Takuma reading his manga in one of the two chairs, Akatsuki taking up the other one beside his cousin on the couch.

"You know," Yuki began, "You didn't really do touchy feely stuff before, but you're really good at it."

Zero laughed quietly and for a moment the apathy lifted and he could feel Kaname rekindle the bond for a moment before it shrivelled again, as if his mate had sensed his brief happiness and craved it just as much as he did.

Yuki pulled him closer, tighter, and they all sat in for a movie marathon, the others bickering over the next movie when Shiki unassumingly played a movie while they argued.

It was Practical Magic and they all settled in to watch, the arguments dissolving.

"You know," Yuki said as they neared the end, "If we were in the movie, you'd be Sally."

Zero chuckled, "And who would you be, Yuki?"

She smiled brightly, "Gilly, of course!"

She relaxed a bit and the pair seemed to forget the others around them.

"I have always loved the idea of love, Zero. But you were the one who actually _needed_ it."

The others took notice of her words and attempted to look like they weren't paying attention, but neither of the adopted siblings took notice of them, too entrenched in their own little world.

"I suppose you're right," Zero admitted, "But I remember having that attitude once."

The next night found them all coming into class just as Yagari pulled Zero aside and directed the rest of the Night Class to wait.

Out of the corner of his eyes as Yagari led him away, he saw Aido flinch, guilt radiating from him.

That couldn't be good.

"Sensei," Zero began and Yagari chuckled.

"I think you can quit with the title for now, Zero. It's not like you can really recall what I was meant to teach you." Yagari bit out, his voice snappy but yet not harsh- merely as if he was bitter at the idea.

Zero could figure why- they had said he had been a hunter in this life and Yagari had been the one to train him, of course his lack in memory would annoy- no, hurt, the vampire hunter, especially now since he was the very thing that Yagari no doubt despised.

Yagari tensed as his nostrils flared and his words surprised the Pureblood.

"What is the nature of your relationship with Kuran?"

"I-I… its up in the air currently." Zero admitted but Yagari narrowed his eyes on him.

"Don't insult my intelligence, Zero. Hunters have to know their prey's habits first and foremost to hunt them and I hope I'm not right to say that you're mated to him. Kuran, the one you hated the most of _them_. I can smell him on you. That idiot Noble as much as gave it away when I talked to him."

Zero snapped at him, breaking through the shallow emotions he had worked with since he had awakened in the afternoon, trying his best to live with Kaname's decision.

"It's none of your business if it is!"

"It most certainly is if what the Noble told me was true. You would be the Association and the Vampire Council's number one target if word got out that you were a Bride of all things!"

They were shouting at each other now and Zero was glad they were on the other side of the school- wait.

"Lis-" Yagari began and Zero focused on his senses, tuning the vampire hunter out for a moment.

"We're being attacked." Zero bit out and quickly left the vampire hunter in the dust, hearing him curse and call the Chairman on his phone before rushing in the opposite direction.

Zero bolted to the classroom where Nobles had begun to pool out of.

"We're under attack." He bit out and the Nobles outside of the inner circle appeared nervous, some of them never having been a fight.

"Kaname-sama left with the new girl- Maria Kurenai was her name I think." Ruka stated and they all pooled their way out the school to the front, all of them sensing the approaching level Es as they made their way to the school.

Yuki ran up, coming from the woods with Artemis Rod drawn, Bloody Rose- the gun they had taken from him when he turned- in her hand.

The level Es closed in on them in a wave and Zero fell back on muscle memory- kicking aside the first two who were killed by Aido's ice before Yuki tossed him the gun and he laid three bullets into three level Es before they cornered her.

He didn't have time to be astonished by his accuracy as another wave hit.

"Where are they coming from?" Aido bit out and Zero shook his head.

"I don't know- but I would like to know who sent them."

"That does seem like the better question," Ruka added as Shiki snapped his blood whip at the two level Es that had turned their attention to trying to corner her.

She nodded her thanks.

Zero found himself attacked at all sides then, the level Es' claws sinking into his shoulders and arms, drawing his blood which only seemed to excite them more, luring the others to him.

The Nobles shifted their attention to defending him, Aido fiercely knocking them back as anxiety flooded through him at the sight of the silverette being attacked.

 _What could he do? He had to do something! It couldn't get out that the pureblood was a Bride- and it certainly couldn't get out that he was pre-_

Suddenly a pulse of power shot out of the tangled mess of level Es from where Zero had been caged in and the level Es shrieked in pain, trying desperately to escape it, falling back as their skins burst out into inflamed boils before their bodies collapsed in on themselves, their bodies evaporating into dust before they hit the ground.

Zero fell back on his ass, trying to catch his breath as the Nobles appeared to take in the extent of his offensive ability, their eyes wide and some of the others outside of the inner circle, with fear.

Yuki rushed to his side, trying to help him up, Aido, after breaking out of his shock, following after, helping the petite brunette lift up the Pureblood who was taller than the both of them.

Zero's uniform was in hanging in strips on his back and shoulders from where claws had ripped into _him_ and his clothes. His back arms were littered with them as well and he just found himself glad that he had killed the ones that had tried to bite him with Bloody Rose.

"What was that?" Yuki asked as they sat him down on the school steps and Zero shrugged, the familiar apathy sinking in as the adrenaline flowed away.

Suffice to say he didn't have the current energy to even touch in with the shallow emotions to make it seemed like he was really feeling anything.

"My primary gift is healing, believe it or not. Instead of healing them I turned their bodies against themselves."

The Nobles were stiff with shock at his statement, having seen Kaname's gift of telekinesis, all of them agreeing that the silverette's ability would be far worse a fate to suffer through.

Meanwhile, as Kaname sensed his mate's pain acutely through the bond that he had tried to lay aside, he had faced Maria Kurenai in his office.

"I know who you are. You won't win this, Shizuka."

Maria giggled, "Of course I will, how do you think Zero-kun will feel when he finds out you set me, _a rogue pitbull_ , after his family on purpose. Tsk, tsk, tsk, Kaname. The truth will come out eventually, and you'd best get on my good side before 'shit hits the fan' as my pet says."

Her pet, the formerly lost Ichiru Kiryu, stood masked in the shadows and she called him forth, placing her hand demurely in the crook of his elbow.

"I hope you don't mind, Kaname, we'll be using the old dormitory- wouldn't want to stir up trouble too soon, of course."

They left and Kaname settled himself in his chair, the glass in the window cracked in his rage.

His mark was an enraged itchy red beneath his shirt, burning away at his chest for failing to protect his mate when he was in danger.

He sighed, pondering aloud.

"What am I doing? Where can I possibly go from here?"


	9. Just Tonight

**_A/N: Sorry this is so late, I have a bit of problem with being productive when it comes to writing when I'm at home. Hope ya'll enjoy this chapter, as always, please REVIEW, Follow, and Fave! :)_**

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9

Need

They were making their way back to the Moon Dorms, Aido and Yuki fretting over him like mother hens, Akatsuki hanging close behind them while also checking over the others in the inner circle. Zero had healed the few wounds the others had but the others still remained sore and tired.

It was nice, Zero could admit, that he had people that cared enough about him to fret over him. It was also a bit annoying, but he could tell it wasn't intended to be.

They entered the Moon Dorms, Yuki still following Zero and Aido up to his room, only to be shooed when she tried to enter the bathroom with them, Aido practically throwing her out as he helped peel the ruined uniform jacket, shirt, and tie off of Zero, the Pureblood biting back hisses of pain as it tugged at the irritated skin.

Zero thanked the Noble as he helped him into the tub that had been filled with warm water as the blond inspected his wounds which for some reason, hadn't healed.

Aido hummed a tune to soothe the silverette as he poked at the wounds, using tweezers to try and urge the injuries to close. They didn't, and the oddest thing was happening- the slashes that marred the silver haired Pureblood's back and shoulders were leaking violet tears and Aido briefly stopped his tune as he swabbed some samples to dissect later under a microscope.

Zero hissed and Aido briefly considered telling him but resolved not to so as not to scare his now (even he could admit) close friend, a Pureblood who appeared to lay aside all sense of propriety to allow him to treat him like an equal.

"How are you feeling?" He asked him and Zero sighed.

"Not great. Tired. Thirsty."

Aido stilled at his words and offered his blood to the Pureblood.

Zero went silent at his offer and appeared to think it over briefly before he gave a shake of his head. Aido was relieved, he didn't want to place himself between the two mated Purebloods, Kaname being the one that was supposed to heal his mate's injuries as custom.

Zero's wounds weren't healing but appeared to clot and stop their bleeding and Aido bandaged him up as best he could, retrieving a shirt and sleep pants from the other room for the ex-prefect.

He stepped back to allow the Pureblood to dress, a slight blush on his face as he looked at him.

When he was human or ex-human anyway, Kiryu had been arguably the most beautiful human he had ever seen, even if his personality had done its best to erase that- but now, he was made even more perfect with a Pureblood's draw and the erasure of any awkward notes that made up a normal youth's form.

Kiryu didn't pick up on his blush and hissed as he tried to pull on the shirt.

Aido rushed to help him and Zero thanked him softly as Aido guided him out of the bathroom and into bed- his charge passing out as soon as his head hit the pillow, laying on his stomach so as not to irritate his injuries.

Aido tossed a light sheet over him and made his way into the sitting area where Yuki was laying on the couch, blinking hazily as the night appeared to sink in and she passed out like her adopted brother had. Aido tossed the fleece blanket that had sat on one of the two chairs over the brunette prefect and left the room to report to Kaname.

He walked across the hall and knocked on the Pureblood Prince's door, admitting himself in when invited.

Takuma was sitting across from Kaname at his desk, reporting the events of the fight to him faithfully.

"We were all left wondering who sent them," Takuma stated and Kaname nodded.

"Begin looking into it." Kaname ordered and Takuma nodded, departing quickly to begin.

"Kaname-sama," Aido began and Kaname looked at him, his wine eyes boring into him as if he could penetrate his mind with just the weight of his glance alone.

"What do you have to report to me, Aido?"

"Zero-sama was the one who chiefly bore the weight of the attack, though it seemed he was not the initial target and that his blood's scent drew them to him alone. We were forced to defend him when our own targets gave up in favor of attacking him, but he- he laid waste to them on his own within moments. The others were shocked at his ability's response and I believe they will report it to their families if they fail to keep it to themselves. Though when Zero-sama healed their wounds, quite a few of them were won over to his side. I have no doubt that some of the younger ones will flock to him in response." Aido reported and Kaname waved him on.

"What were the extent of his injuries?"

"He was clawed up pretty badly on his back, shoulders, and chest. It appears that some of the level Es claws were laced with some chemical of some sort. The liquid that seeped from his wounds when I treated him was violet and I have already taken samples to test."

"Does Kiryu know of this chemical?"

Aido shook his head, "No, I thought it best to keep quiet about it until I knew what it was. The less people know about it I thought would be better."

Kaname nodded, "Have his wounds already begun to heal?"

"No," Aido replied, "I don't know why, but they are failing to heal- probably a result of the chemical as his chest appears to be healing far better than his back and shoulders."

Kaname nodded, sipping from a wine glass before waving Aido off.

Aido took his leave then, leaving the brown haired Pureblood alone.

Kaname held off for a few minutes, sitting quietly in contemplation before his mark began to sear into his chest painfully- angry that he had failed to protect his mate- angry that he had yet to do his duty to heal him.

He downed the rest of the wine and stripped off his jacket before leaving his office, finding himself within his mate's room before he realized it fully.

Yuki, his dear sister, was lying down on the couch, her hair a mess around her face as she slept beneath a blanket still in her uniform.

The TV above the fireplace played softly in the background as he scanned her over, trying desperately to feel for her what he had before he had mated with the person who was supposed to be her Knight in this war with Rido.

He walked past her, distinctly feeling the lack of sadness that seeing her should have brought.

The bond was overwhelming him now as he was practically dragged by an invisible rope to the Pureblood on the bed before him.

Zero was laying on his chest, a thin sheet laid over top of him up to his waist where the only covering from there up was a white wife beater dyed crimson by his leaking bandages.

He stirred as Kaname drew close enough for him to smell over his own overpowering bloody scent.

"Kaname?" He breathed, looking up at him as if coming out of a daze.

"How are you feeling?" Kaname asked him and the silver haired Bride snorted in reply.

"Not so great."

They both knew he was referring to his end of the bond and his injuries.

"I know." Kaname replied and Zero sat up on his knees and turned over to lean against the headboard with a small hiss as his back made contact.

"What are you doing here?"

"You need to feed."

Zero shook his head, "Not now."

Kaname responded harshly, "You're with child and hurt, let me feed you."

They both freeze and quiet as Yuki inhaled loudly on the couch, as if waking from the dead.

"Not now." Zero stated and Kaname growled at him.

"Yes, now."

Zero's features contorted into anger, "I said not now! You don't get to ignore me for two nights and then suddenly get short with me!"

Yuki sat up on the couch and looked over at them with surprise in her big brown eyes, her hands rubbing at them as she yawned.

"Kaname-sempai? Zero, why are you yelling?"

Zero didn't look at her for a moment, his breathing rough, pained, and angry as he tried to calm down.

Kaname looked at her and clearly softened, "Yuki."

Zero watched the clear change in him critically and slid out of bed, slamming the door to the bathroom to escape- his mark burning his chest as he raged on the other side of the door- his anger quickly dissolving into despair as he tried to quiet his side of the bond, wanting his feelings to remain his own alone.

Kaname sighed at the closed door and Yuki stood up, "What's going on?"

Her question caused him to shake his head as he tried to deny that anything was amiss between he and Zero.

"You're lying to me, you _never_ lie to me." She stated and he swallowed.

"Yuki. Zero and I…" He trailed off, trying to find the right words, trying to admit to her the change between the two of them.

She hugged him, "It'll be alright, Kaname-sempai. You know you don't have to hate him, right? It won't do you any good to."

He chuckled at her words and tightened his arms around her small form.

"I don't hate him, Yuki." He released a breath, "I don't think I can-not anymore at least."

Yuki smiled against his chest and he ran a hand through her hair.

"I always wished the two of you would get along- I just wish Zero hadn't had to forget himself for that to happen."

Zero left the bathroom half an hour later after he had gathered himself up off the ground and washed his face and his misery away.

Yuki was gone when he made a brief look around the room, the TV was turned off and he relaxed, turning around to the dresser as he took off his shirt with a grunt of discomfort.

He gasped as a familiar pair of arms wrapped themselves around him, nimble hands peeling off the bandages to inspect his wounds.

He could feel that they hadn't healed and wasn't surprised when the Pureblood spoke up.

"You need to feed, Zero. You don't just have your health riding on this."

Zero flinched at his words and stared at the floor, looking up suddenly when the scent of his mate's blood filled the air from the cut on his neck.

Kaname smiled at him softly when he turned around, his gaze fixated on the small cut that was meant to lure him into feeding.

"Come on, Zero. Feed from me, I know you want to. I can _feel_ it."

Zero ran his hands up the brunet's chest, his right wrapping around his neck as he lost himself in a haze of bloodlust, sinking his fangs into his mate's jugular with a predatory grace.

Kaname released a groan unwittingly as a wave of euphoria hit him, radiating outward from his mark, pulsing with satisfaction as Zero fed from his neck slowly, the bite bringing pleasure as well.

He found himself stepping back till he fell back onto the bed, Zero straddling him, his mouth attached like a vise to his neck, drinking from him in languid pulls.

It was among the most pleasurable sensations Kaname had ever felt, in this life or in his prior one as he fulfilled his mate's needs- his blood healing the silverette's wounds flawlessly, leaving no scars on his fair skin.

The glass shattered in the bedside lamp as Zero began to release him, his tongue licking at the wound until it healed, crawling up Kaname's throat with his lips and over his jaw till their lips connected setting off a fire within the both of them.

It was a primal, vicious hunger that hit them both and claws tore both of their clothes away, biting and nipping at the other's skin as Zero rocked his hips against him, primal sounds elicited from him as his head fell back, Kaname nipping at his throat.

Then they were connected, both by flesh and by fang as Kaname drank in soft pulls from his throat, not allowing a single drop of blood to go to waste as he ground into Zero between each thrust of his hips.

He pulled back after a last small pull- sensing his mate's need to conserve blood to finish healing and fully sate himself.

A part of him was left shocked by how animalistic it all was- but Zero seemed too far gone to notice himself.

Eventually, hours later it seemed, they released each other and Zero rolled over to burrow into his side like a cat, purring and licking at the scratches he had inflicted on Kaname during it all.

Kaname wrapped an arm around him as he continued to purr against him, pondering on his behavior as Zero slowly came back to himself before sinking into rest.

"Please don't leave me." Zero mumbled as he slipped away and Kaname realized fully how impossible that would be.

No, they could never be parted and it was time he realized that.


	10. Miss Murder

**_A/N: Next chapter as promised, I was lacking for inspiration this chapter and I don't know where this is going right now, so it would be an excellent time for ya'll to suggest anything you want in the story or what scenes from the anime ya'll would like for me to include. (I don't have access to the manga, but if you paraphrase the scene, I'd be glad to incorporate it. :)) I didn't realize it, but this story already has 20K words, it sure goes fast when you're writing small chapters I guess. I hope ya'll enjoy this chapter, and as always, please REVIEW, Fave, and Follow. :)_**

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10

Shizuka

They had all been walking to class the next night when Zero came across Maria Kurenai for the first time.

She had skipped from an off path onto the main path to join them and he couldn't help but analyze her with a critical eyes. He _knew_ her, he had _seen_ her in one of his dreams, when though, he didn't know.

"I know her." He stated softly to Kaname who was beside him, the brown haired pureblood's bodyguard standing protectively behind the two.

"From where?" Kaname mused, but Zero could sense his mild shock via the bond.

"A vision. She's sick. A Pureblood is using her as a host, aren't they?"

Kaname nodded and they continued on into class, the silver haired Pureblood alarmed when he found himself surrounded on two sides by a few of the young Nobles who he had healed after the fight. Kaname appeared amused at his surprise and Zero sent him a look to the equivalent of 'har, har, har'.

A few of them introduced themselves; Tsuya, Aimi, and Koto.

Tsuya was a petite blonde with big green eyes and a large nervous smile and when he gave her one back in reply she appeared relieved. Aimi, beside her, had shoulder-length pale pink hair and near white grey eyes and a genuine grin to greet him with. Koto, the only boy in the small group was probably a freshman and was most likely a relation to Tsuya with the same nervous smile but with ginger orange hair and the same big green eyes.

He smiled at the three of them and talked with them amicably for a while before class began and by the time the final bell let out the three of them seemed almost enamoured with him, hanging onto his every word like he was some long lost god. It was a bit annoying, but when he urged them to speak up themselves, he found Koto and Aimi to be bright and talkative while Tsuya would slowly drop some things into the conversation with cutting remarks.

He laughed.

He stuck close to Kaname as they made their way back to the Dorms.

As they drew closer to the Dorms, he glanced at Yuki to find Maria whispering in her ear. Whatever it was that she told Yuki, it appeared to shock her to the bone, a dark look over sweeping her face briefly- sad and disappointed and a bit angry. She looked at Zero then, her eyes glancing at Kaname briefly. Whatever was in them, he couldn't quite decipher but he had a bad feeling about it all.

Maria had disappeared back down the path leading away from the main path and the Moon Dorms, back down the path that led to the decrepit old Dorms that Aido had mentioned were from when the school had just began and there were only a few dozen vampires to occupy it. Now there were a few dozen more, but still, their numbers were below a hundred and Zero could suppose that was part of the draw of the Night Class- it made it seem like it was some foreign, exclusive class. It was, but he digressed.

"Yuki?" He called out to her and she pasted a smile on her features.

They both knew it was fake, meant to save face as she came to terms with whatever it was that Maria had whispered to her. Kaname's words from the night before last struck him- she'd be hurt when she found out about them. Was that what Maria had whispered to her?

She shook her head, "I'm fine, Zero."

They both knew she was not fine.

It was the night of the Winter Ball where both classes merged together to well… the Day Class would go unchecked as they swamped the vampires in the Night Class.

Zero was surrounded by Day Class girls, all of them complimenting him on his change in character- a turn for the better one of them said. He did his best, thinking back to the few times Lilly had taken him with her to vampire events in that past life of his, trying to emulate the charming purebloods from then that could sell snake oil to the cleverest of townsfolk.

They giggled and talked and talked and talked with seemingly no real point to any of their words. Zero would give a soft smile and the girls would sigh and one even made a show of fainting.

Eventually, Aido took pity on him (or simply craved more attention) and appeared at his side, stealing the unsuspecting girls away and giving the Pureblood some much needed relief.

He could feel his mate's amusement through the bond and he sent his best glare at the brown haired Pureblood as he approached him.

They were quiet for a few minutes when Yuki finally showed herself at the entrance. Both of their eyes were trained on her as she flitted into the room, smartly avoiding the edges lest being pulled to help clean and organize.

She wore a pretty pale pink dress that he could guess with pretty good chances that Kaname had given her. She smiled at them and they laughed and joked around (Kaname trying to keep up, joking really was not his thing unless it was featuring someone else), Zero chuckled as Yuki let out a sigh, Kaname disappearing to refill his drink.

Yuki pulled him aside, her face sobering quickly as the last of her giggles disappeared.

"Is there anything you need to tell me, Zero? I know Kaname keeps things from me, but you would never do that."

Zero shook his head, his thoughts far from what she was picking at. He had almost forgotten the scene with Maria a week ago, too caught up in visions or learning to live with the bond to realize just how badly he might have been hurting her.

She sighed then, disappearing into the crowd as Kaname appeared back at his side.

They both sipped their drinks silently until Aimi with her pale pink hair and white grey eyes walked up in a crimson tailored tux and whispered in his ear.

"Zero-sama?"

"Yes, Aimi-san?"

She blushed for a moment, "You told me to tell you when Cross-san left? She left a moment ago with Kurenai-san."

Zero's eyes flew to Kaname's and he thanked Aimi before they left, having failed to notice Aido and Kain's own departure.

"It seems that Zero no longer requires my blood." Shizuka stated, firmly within her body as Ichiru gently carried Maria away only to come back to immerse himself in shadows once more.

"But Yuki-chan, I can offer you something in return for your own."

Yuki stared at her in expectation, swallowing thickly.

"I will reveal to you the truth of what I have already alluded- that your dear Kaname-sempai and Zero are mated and have left you alone. I will show you where this leaves you."

Yuki released a cough of a breath, her voice harsh, "Do you have Zero's gift? Is that how you know?"

Shizuka nodded, a smile playing on her lips and Yuki stepped forward, hypnotized by the Pureblood's beauty until she was standing right before the white haired woman.

Shizuka struck like a viper, her fangs suddenly in Yuki's throat and devouring her blood moment by moment. Yuki released a scream and suddenly she felt familiar arms rip her free from the Pureblood vampiress. Zero.

She blinked and suddenly was sunk under a wave of exhaustion, leaving Zero alone with Shizuka.

She stood from the chaise lounge and he held Yuki tightly in his arms.

Shizuka let out a breath, "Have you forgotten me so easily, Zero? Your master?"

Distantly, he could feel her attempt to use her sire bond and with a strike of power, she was driven from his mind and snapped back into her own. She let out a hiss, her head aching at the rebound.

"Something tells me you fail to realize the position you're in." Zero remarked and Shizuka was swept behind her protector- this life of his' twin.

He pulled off his mask to reveal features identical to Zero's own, hair hanging slightly longer than the silver haired Pureblood.

"Come on, Nii-san. Going to end this so soon?" Ichiru chortled and Zero smirked.

"That won't be me doing the ending."

A scream of surprise turned to pain and blood spattered the wall behind Ichiru as Kaname ended the Madly Blooming Princess' life.

That left Ichiru with the two Purebloods and unconscious human.

"I must admit," Kaname began, "I am curious as to why you aren't a Pureblood too- are you not supposed to be two parts to a whole?"

Ichiru made to rush out the window and it slammed shut just as he leapt for it. He rebounded onto the hardwood floors with a crunch.

"Kaname." Zero breathed and Ichiru found himself cornered by them.

At least his brother seemed to be concerned, even if he had no memory of him.

"Relax," Zero urged, "We're not going to hurt you."

"Do you really not remember me?" Ichiru asked, and he couldn't help feeling like a small child facing the lack of love given by family once again.

Zero nodded, "But that doesn't mean I'm going to let you get hurt. Come with us, you can stay with me or Chairman Cross-wherever you want to stay. I know you can _see_ just like I can _see_. You know I won't hurt you."

Ichiru nodded.

Yuki lay on the Chairman's couch later in the evening, Kaname and Zero speaking quietly above her sleeping form.

"Do you think she'll wake up as an ex-human?" Zero asked and Kaname shook his head.

"She was bitten by a Pureblood- her seal should be broken and she _should_ be awakening, but she doesn't appear to be."

"No, but she is sleeping rather deeply." Zero stated and Kaname nodded.

"It seems we'll just have to wait."


	11. West Coast

**_A/N: I intended to get this chapter up last night, but I had to add premise and some other notes, edit, and finish the chapter a little better than I had originally planned for. Most of this chapter is fluff, I hope ya'll enjoy. As always, PLEASE REVIEW, Fave, and Follow! :)_**

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11

Family

Zero entered his room later that night, dawn beginning to sink into the room via the edges of the blackout curtains. Ichiru leaned on him for support as they trudged in, Zero sitting him on the bed before helping him out of his jacket and shirt, checking on the wraps that Cross had painstakingly done as the younger twin cursed his name.

A rib or two were broken.

Zero helped him into a pair of clean sleep pants and offered a shirt which his twin turned down with a wave of his hand.

Yuki had awakened an hour or so ago and after her memory had been erased of Shizuka's bite, had revealed to them her knowledge of Zero and Kaname's relationship. She had appeared to still be coming to terms with it all- but a part of both of them had been relieved that they hadn't had to tell her themselves.

Ichiru seemed uneasy at how Zero treated him and eventually snapped.

"Why are you helping me when you don't even know me?"

Zero went quiet at his words and put the first aid kit away as he finished looking over the bandages. A part of him wondered how he had a first aid kit in his bathroom, but he laid the thought aside to answer Ichiru's question.

"I might not remember this life, but I do remember another one before this. My older brothers were twins, they didn't like me mind you, but I saw how much they meant to each other. I suppose I owe it to the 'current' me to take care of you."

"I don't want your pity." Ichiru growled and Zero laughed.

"It's not pity. I don't think I pity anyone anything at this point."

He went silent, "I assume you were with Shizuka for a reason."

Ichiru swallowed at his words and went silent, the righteous anger departing from his features.

"From what Cross and Yagari have told me, you require blood from a Pureblood to keep up health wise. You can get it from me. I don't know what plans you have, that might prove disastrous for me, but I figure you'll be able to figure your way."

Zero went silent and pulled off his dress shirt, turning around to face Ichiru. Ichiru's eyes immediately centered on his mark over his heart, Zero sensing the comfort of the bond as it was scanned over.

Ichiru's eyes widened like a cartoon's.

"You're mated!" He cried and Zero nodded, "And I bet you can guess to who."

"Kuran? Of all people, Kuran?"

Zero sighed, "It only makes sense for you to know, but I trust you can keep it quiet?"

Ichiru swallowed and nodded after a moment.

Zero stilled before bolting to the restroom to vomit as his morning sickness came back in full force. God, he hoped he wasn't going to be stuck up all day vomiting again.

"Goddammit, I thought I was done with that." he sighed as he reentered, Ichiru scanned him, "Do Purebloods even get sick?"

"No."

Weeks had passed now, gratefully uneventfully.

Ichiru was huddled with him for warmth beside him as he fell out of bed and crawled over to the bathroom to vomit for what seemed the thousandth time. It only ever abated when Kaname fed him blood or stuck close to him, but it happened to be one of the few days where he wasn't sleeping in his mate's bed.

Ichiru woke up then, as he reentered the room, a hand rubbing the distending belly that had seemed to come up over night. Ichiru stared at him.

"You're getting fat, Nii-san."

Zero scowled at his twins words, "I'm not fat, I'm pregnant, asshole."

Ichiru's eyes went comically wide and Zero quickly realized his error.

"Uhh.. don't tell anyone? Only Aido knows beside Kaname? Please?"

Ichiru stared at him silently. "How?"

Zero sat down on one of the chairs that sat opposite the bed and released a long drawn out breath, "I'm apparently this thing called a Bride- a male Pureblood who can bear children."

Ichiru started laughing of all things and Zero scowled at him, "What?"

Ichiru kept laughing, trying to find air to breathe until he slowly began to calm down, "This is… the first time...I've been glad…to be myself!"

Zero scowled at him once more before breaking into a smile, "Insolent brat."

Ichiru gave a half hearted salute and fell back onto the pillows.

"So… how far along are you Nii-san?!" He heckled and Zero went silent, trying to think.

"Hmmm… two and a half months? I haven't been to a doctor or anything."

Zero grinned, "You know what this means, Ichiru… you're going to be an Uncle."

Ichiru sobered at the thought before breaking into a grin, "You know what else it means, Nii-san? You're going to be Okaa-san to some poor unfortunate child."

Zero smirked, "You haven't had a vision? That would be two unfortunate children- and you're going to be their favorite babysitter."

They both broke out into laughter before Zero rushed to the bathroom, Ichiru's raucous laughter following him.

A week passed and soon enough, Zero felt like a whale and refused to come out of his room- for classes or otherwise. Aido would bring him the work and he would come in after classes to take any tests or quizes he missed instead.

Aido burst into his room, well, Ichiru and his shared room.

They were bundled up like a pair of identical burritos in blankets, both focused on the television as _Sex in the City_ played.

"She deserves so much better," Zero mumbled and Ichiru nodded beside him, munching on laffy taffy, handing over each cherry one to Zero who was only eating the cherry ones it seemed.

"Get up, Kiryu. We're going shopping." Aido declared and Zero glared at him, "You have good taste, you go shopping for me."

Aido looked both irritated and flattered at the same time and Ichiru laughed away the tension between the two.

Aido switched tactics when Yuki came barreling into the room, her memories of the night with Shizuka stricken and her seal replenished. They had told her about the pregnancy which she had taken with the greatest stride, apparently excited at being a teenaged aunt.

Ichiru stred at her as she came in, captivated to her like a moth to flame. Zero and Aido both took note of it.

"Yuki-chan," Aido pleaded, "Help me here."

Zero looked at her and put on his best puppy eyes, "Yuki, why don't you take Aido and go shopping? Aido wants to go shopping, don't you Aido?"

His manipulation was near masterful and Aido sighed.

"Not for me alas, Kiryu. Don't tell me you can still fit into the uniform shirts- no one would believe that."

Zero blinked at his words, blinking and blinking and blinking, trying to blink away the stubborn tears.

"Damn these hormones," He muttered and all the room's people shuddered in anticipation, knowing they would only get worse as the pregnancy progressed.

"Just go, Nii-san. It's not like you don't need clothes."

Zero glared at his twin before smiling a wicked grin, "Ichiru, you have a good sense of style, why don't you come with?"

Yuki cheered, "Yeah, come with us, Ichiru-kun! We'll go get ice cream in town!"

Aido, Zero, and Ichiru all perked up at her words, Ichiru because he was so obviously crushing on the current human, Aido and Zero both fantasizing about mint chocolate ice cream.

They had just gotten done with shopping, Zero, Aido, and Ichiru were seated in a booth as Yuki ordered her own ice cream.

"You like Yuki! You like Yuki! You like Yuki!" Aido and Zero mocked as his twin stayed focused on her. Ichiru slapped Aido and poked his brother in the nose, not wanting to incite the silver haired Pureblood's wrath.

Zero chuckled at Aido's red cheek and Ichiru let out a growl, "Shut up! She'd never look at me that way! She's too focused on Ku-"

He froze his words as a dark look crossed his brother's fair features.

Zero's eyes flashed to him as if daring him to finish that sentence.

"What were you saying, brother-dear?" Zero crooned and Ichiru shuddered.

"Ju-just, Yuki doesn't see me that way." Ichiru breathed and Zero turned to him and tapped his spoon against the tip of his twin's nose.

"Maybe you and Yuki need to get drunk. That's what worked for Kaname and I."

Ichiru looked appalled at his brother, "Are you suggesting, to your baby brother, that he get your adopted baby sister drunk and conceive a child with her like you did with your mate?"

Zero snickered, "Well, when you put it that way, it sounds a bit off, doesn't it?"

Aido and Ichiru nodded vigorously.

Zero shrugged and went back to eating his ice cream just as Yuki skipped to the table with a huge jar of ice cream and a smaller jar of green sherbert which she immediately handed over to the pregnant Bride. Aido pouted in reply and she immediately swatted him on the head, "You're not pregnant, you don't need the extra calories, Aido-sempai."

After properly reprimanding the Noble, Yuki struck up conversation with Zero, unaware of her adopted brother's twin staring at her passively. Zero poked his brother on the cheek and it failed to stir him. He poked him again and again before finally turning to Yuki.

"Ichiru likes you, he wants to ask you out, Yuki."

Ichiru came out of his tizzy to see Yuki blushing a watermelon red and Zero smirking at him, "Zero, _what_ did you say?"

Zero smirked and popped him on the nose with his spoon, "Come on, Yuki. What do you say? He has the good genes and everything!"

Ichiru groaned in realization and Yuki sputtered in reply, forgetting her ice cream.

Aido seized a scoop and Yuki swatted him away as she came out of her temporary daze. Ichiru blushed brightly and tried to look anywhere other than at Yuki for a few minutes as Yuki ate her ice cream and appeared too shell-shocked to consider.

"Yes." Yuki breathed a few minutes later when she had finished her ice cream, her eyes fell on Ichiru.

"Yes, what?" He asked stupidly and she beamed and swatted him playfully on the arm.

"Yes, I'll go out with you."

Ichiru burst into Kaname's office two nights later where he and Zero were lounging on the couch in front of the fireplace, Zero whispering to him (or the twins, Ichiru wasn't sure) softly.

"Nii-san! What do I wear? What do I wear? What d-"

Zero hushed him and sighed, "Has _Fashion Police_ taught you nothing?"

Ichiru blinked, his face blank.

"Oh, oh yeah. Bye!"

Kaname stared after Ichiru as the younger twin burst back out of the room.

He looked at Zero in question.

"He's going on a date." Zero filled in, "With Yuki."

The last was tacked on as an afterthought and Kaname went silent at his words, releasing the silver haired Pureblood- his oh-so-familiar mask sliding back onto his handsome features.

 _Oh no,_ Zero thought. His hormones raised their ugly heads viciously and jealousy began to bloom in his chest, but he bit it back despite knowing that Kaname would no doubt notice it through the bond even if he was focused on other matters.

They hadn't really moved on passed the shallow end of their relationship- blood drinking, sex, and a few revealing conversations between the two- even with Zero's growing touchy-feely side which demanded cuddles from any fool within reaching distance (usually Aido or his brother, Kaname was clever enough to evade him in those moods).

What did a normal couple do for that matter?

Zero wondered as he felt Kaname close down the bond on his side, but not before he felt the brown haired Pureblood's confusion.

 _Does he think he's supposed to feel something for her still?_

Zero put a handle on his anger as it spiked at the thought- wondering briefly if this was what Aido meant about his hormones being worse than a pregnant female's due to his Bride status.

Kaname for his part, pondered his words to Yuki so long ago, recalling their childish intentions to one day marry as Haruka and Juri had.

That's all it could be now- a childish intention never to come to fruition.

A part of him resented that.

"What's going on, Kaname? What are you thinking?" Zero asked beside him and Kaname shook his head, trying to shake himself from those thoughts all together.

He could sense his mate's irritation and sparky emotions through the bond and a part of him was proud of Zero for not acting on his emotions so easily.

"Nothing-well, nothing now, I suppose. No need to trouble you about it."

Zero sighed at his reply and muttered his own response.

"I'm pretty sure it's bothering you because you haven't talked to anyone about it- _you can't expect to keep all your feelings to yourself and still expect them to disappear._ "


	12. Closing Time

_**A/N: If you are wondering where I've been... I've been primarily focusing on my original work and the like. If you're interested in checking out my original stories you can find them linked out on my bio under the different account I post everything on. I post primarily on Penana and FictionPress, so check me out there! Anyway, I want to continue this story but I am at a weird fork in the road- one way leads me further away from canon and is startlingly uncertain while the other is kind of a dead end for me as I've lost interest in the canon. Let me know what ya'll think. As always, please Fave, Follow, & REVIEW! And thank you to everyone who has already done so. :)**_

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A letter was perched precariously from the corner of his desk- the letter he had just finished reading, its contents disclosing the final statement for the incident involving Shizuka and her oh-so-terrible demise.

If he were one to snort, Kaname would have then as the cringe-worthy letter was tossed into a lit fire.

He could do without the simpering from lower level vampires most definitely, even if it _was_ entertaining at times.

The Council had been at first alarmed by Shizuka's death, especially when he copped to it himself as he was not yet ready to put the silver haired pureblood before the gaze of the Council. But soothing their alarm had been relatively simple, as it should, given that he had taken care of the remainders of her affairs when Zero had taken in his twin.

The younger Kiryu had taken care of most of it himself, as he was wont to do since he was the executioner of Shizuka's will, one of the few beneficiaries of a multi-million dollar estate.

His mate's brother had also seen to the Kurenai family as it was just Maria and her mother now.

Kaname suspected his mate was taking care of the young vampiress as well, having spotted him in the Dorm's library with the slight girl. She had been looking healthier recently, only confirming his suspicions.

He was slightly irritated by the thought of his mate sharing his blood with someone else, but the girl was no foreseeable threat and Ichiru Kiryu had appeared to fit perfectly back into his assigned role.

He gave a chuckle at the sound of a door slamming and the running of footsteps from his mate's room, the pattern nervous while a second pattern followed behind, Zero's light teasing sliding to his ear from beneath the door.

"You look fine, stop measuring yourself up in a mirror! Get out! Out! Out, Ichiru, you'll be late and then I'd have to put up with Yuki bitching you out in my ear for the next two weeks!"

"Ni, ni, I'm going! I know when I'm not wanted!" Ichiru called back and Kaname could hear Zero laugh at his twin before stopping at the end of the hall and turning back toward Kaname's room.

* * *

An hour later found them both sitting side by side on the couch, the conversation having degraded into an argument between the two.

Zero was not happy, but thankfully hadn't started crying like he thought he would five minutes prior.

Things were usually tense around them except for after sex, both of them ungiving when it came to the no man's land that hung between them. Both of them always had to be right, both of them always had to be needled for more.

Zero was desperate for something more, though he couldn't quite figure out what type of more now. What were they supposed to be doing? Their relationship wasn't smooth sailing by any means- Zero wanting more and Kaname stagnant as he constantly thought over his plans and every new development that Zero foresaw.

"Just fucking talk to me! Just one fucking day without talking about another vision! I'm not just some magic eight ball, Kaname! There's more to me than a few dreams and magic pixie dust!"

Kaname's answering laugh was harsh, "You're acting like there's much else to talk about. It's not as if you remember anything to talk about, your whole past is a blank spot in your head. And it's not as if I don't want to talk about anything else, _Zero_."

Zero rubbed his temple while Kaname nursed a drink.

It was a terrible silence that hung over them now, only the sound of the roaring fire to keep Zero company as his head began to pound.

Damn him, Zero was not giving in a-fucking-gain.

And it wasn't as if he didn't have something to talk about- the dick was acting like he was the one who did all the talking when it was exactly the opposite! Zero always had to be the one talking and he felt like he was prattling on to a god damned wall for all the reply he got back.

His vision blurred and he blinked hard to try and fix it but instead his head began to ache with a new strength. He shut his mouth into a tight line and allowed his mind to be taken away as a vision came to.

 _Yuki, alone, in the bathroom at Cross' house._

 _She was sitting back against the tub wall, her knees pulled up to her chest, nails digging into her calves. The water grew pink, deepening to a vicious red as blood seemed to pool to the surface, the wat-no, blood- overflowing the tub, Yuki crying out for someone, anyone, to help her._

 _What was happening to her?_

Zero turned to face Kaname, his lips dry, his mouth tasting something akin to sandpaper.

"You need to turn her, the seal is breaking and it's breaking bad, Kaname."

Kaname dropped the glass of scotch to the side table and nodded.

Through the bond Zero could sense his mate ponder his plans, their minds syncing up as they both searched for ways for it all- the mess that it was- to work.

"I don't know what's happening." Zero breathed, "My visions aren't adding up- everything is too up in the air, it's giving me a headache."

Kaname nodded and Zero felt his consciousness shift for what felt like the dozenth time that night- another vision, this one coming with a heightened sense of dread.

 _A dark pooling mass- blood, he was sure of it. He could taste it's scent on the tip of his tongue as he felt his mind begin to make sense of this new place, new time._

 _The pool dips and makes way to reveal his twin surfacing, his identical features obscured by slick red trails as he came closer. Within a moment, Luna, clean of any harsh crimson, surfaced beside him, cradling his twin in her arms._

" _Didn't you like having a brother, my son? Surely you didn't if you did nothing to stop him from dying ultimately by your own hand."_

Zero gasped for breath as the vision dispersed, blinking long and hard, tears trailing down his face unintentionally. His head throbbed and he felt himself begin to lose tenuous hold on reality.

"No...no...no...No, no, no."

Kaname looked at him, searching his face, but Zero was losing grasp quickly to the flood of despair and anxiety that gripped him now.

He rushed to stand and just barely felt his mate grab hold of his hand, pulling him into his side, an arm wrapping around him, offering silent comfort as Zero continued to mutter mindlessly for minutes.

Kaname hummed another his breath and for the first time completely released his hold on the bond, the greatest comfort he could offer.

Zero went silent at the feeling and forced himself to relax.

"What did you see?"

* * *

He was alone in his room hours later, a fire roaring and the tv blaring, wrapped tight in his favorite blanket when his twin finally got back.

Ichiru stopped at the entrance as he caught sight of his distraught twin, the smile slipping from his face as tears tracked down Zero's face.

"What's wrong, Nii-san?"

Zero released a stuttering breath, "I uh, had a vision… well, it seemed like a vision. It reminded me more of a nightmare to be honest."

He shook his head, "But nevermind that, how was your date with Yuki?"

Ichiru still appeared concerned but after a moment shook it off and beamed at his elder brother.

"It was great! We went out into town, saw a movie, went to dinner at that new restaurant that opened up last week- you know, that stir-fry one."

Zero smiled and wiped his face with the blanket, holding it open for Ichiru to slip under it with him. His twin changed his shoes out for slippers and Zero wrapped an arm around him, his head falling against the younger twin's shoulders.

Ichiru took note of his brother pallid features, tiredness leaching off of him in waves. Zero's brows were furrowed under his clear stress.

"Have you fed recently?" Ichiru asked.

Zero nodded, "Last night. I'm not sick or hungry or anything. Just a recurring headache, no need to worry. My visions keep bleeding into when I'm awake."

Ichiru hummed in reply, "I don't envy you then, mine only come when I'm asleep- and not even that often. Do you want to hear about my last one?"

Zero smiled softly, "Sure."

Ichiru laughed, "My visions changed when you took me in- before they had all been about me working for the vampire council and helping bring Kuran's uncle back- I know on that path I would've died. But now…"

He smiled, "I see myself babysitting your twins- both of them screaming on and on in that excited way that only kids can, something about you baking a cake for their birthday. I see myself sitting beside Yuki, and the way she looks at me in that vision, Nii-san… I finally have something to look forward to."

Zero smiled softly and clutched Ichiru close, his smile sliding off of his face after a moment. "I wish I could be that certain. Everything is so...up in the air, I guess. Anything could happen, and when I think something's going to go one way, another vision strikes and it goes another."

Zero sighed, "Kaname is keeping to himself, which, though normal, is something I wish would change. Of course, I can tell what he's feeling through the bond now that he doesn't attempt to reject it, but still, I wish I knew what he's thinking. Sometimes it's easy to tell what he's thinking about- he thinks about Yuki frequently, I think he's still trying to come to terms with her not being his future mate, but there's something else going on, I'm sure of it."

Ichiru nodded, "Well, you've certainly thrown a wrench in his plans. Kuran's always seemed anal-retentive whenever something disrupts his dear schemes."

Zero laughed, "Probably…"

He yawned, "We still need to figure out who sent the level Es to test us- not to mention that Kaname thought the bottle we had been drinking from was spiked when we originally slept together, though that part has fallen on the backburner for now."

Ichiru hummed and Zero yawned again, the room silent except for the crackling fire.

"What was your vision about, Nii-san? What upset you?"

Zero swallowed, "A woman- she's come to me before in visions, sometimes she's caring, other times infuriated. In this one she was almost sad… She said something about you dying by my hand."

Zero released a sobbing breath, "God, Ichiru, I couldn't live with myself if I did that. Not when I've just gotten you."

Ichiru stoked his back to soothe him, "Don't worry, Nii-san. Everything will turn out how it should, we'll both be fine."

Ichiru's mouth fell into a relaxed line, "I love you, Nii-san. You won't lose me if I have anything to do with it."

* * *

The Kiryu twins and the Kuran siblings were at the Chairman's house in the scant days before Christmas Eve alongside Kaien and Yagari, who were each assembling the christmas tree while christmas carols played over the speakers.

Zero ghosted out from the kitchen, sugar and flour dusting his clothes despite the apron to see his twin gaping in flabbergasted shock.

"No way, no fucking way. I don't buy it. There is no way that Kaito, that asshole, wore a dress on a hunt, under _any_ circumstance. He swore up and down that he'd never do that, for any reason, hunt or no hunt- it was why he made me and Zero dress up as girls for that stupid kiddie calendar."

Yagari chuckled, "Do you want to see the picture?"

Ichiru nodded swiftly, "Hell yes, I do! Zero! Do you remember Kaito? Yagari-sensei's other apprentice? Oh, I hated that prick- you didn't mind him too much…"

Ichiru prattled on and on and Zero placed a plate of cookies on the coffee table.

He smiled and sat down between his brother and Kaname, content with the sound of his twin's complaints and Yuki's amused giggles. He relaxed against the couch cushions, surprised when he felt Kaname lock their hands together discreetly. He smiled wider and a flash of light blinded the group briefly.

They all glanced up to see that Kaien was holding a camera.

"What the hell kind of camera is that? The only time I want to see something that bright is when the fat lady sings and my heart stops. Damn, Cross. Do I have to kick your ass?" Yagari complained and Ichiru ceased his complaining to munch on a ginger man shaped sugar cookie.

Yuki stared at Zero silently for a moment and he quirked a brow at her in response. She waved him off.

Hours passed and Yuki went to bed, Ichiru leaning against Zero asleep on the couch. Zero wasn't doing much better, his eyes slipping closed. He felt Kaname get up and begin to converse with the two hunters in the kitchen.

What do you two know about Kree Azura?" He asked the two of them and Kaien's breath catches.

"I know the myth- it's been a while, but it used to be passed down each pureblood hunter line. She was said to be the first vampire/hunter hybrid, she was a successful hunter, well, until she defected back to the vampire side. Though… the myth stated that she wasn't accepted by the vampires. She had a pureblood lover- Shirabuki Mikah and together they raised an army to overtake the hunters and the vampires in power. It was supposedly the last time hunters and vampires came together against a common threat. It was said that as soon as their army and followers were eliminated Kree and her lover killed one another to escape punishment. After that… vampires blamed the hunters for her part and hunters blamed them for her part as well as her lover's. It dissolved relations for over two centuries."

Kaname nodded and blew out a breath, his hand gripping the kitchen counter tightly.

"I have reason to believe that she is rising."


	13. Broken Pieces

_**A/N: if you read my A/N for The World's latest chapter you'd know I fucked up, so this is coming several hours early, but it is uh, a little short, I will admit. Also, I took a long break from this story because I completely lost my way with it- but I'm back to outlining it in advance, and I WILL work on outlining some more tonight, so you can keep getting chapters every Saturday for this story. I have also created a playlist for this story, but am too lazy to go back and edit the chapter titles of 12 chapters to match the song titles on anything but fanfiction, so I'm sorry to those who read on Wattpad and A03. The playlist is linked in the story bios on Wattpad and A03, but on Fanfic is linked on my author profile. Check it out when you get the chance. Imma end this A/N here because if I don't it might turn out longer than the actual fucking chapter (nice going, Erin. Smdh for the second time tonight.) Anyway, enjoy :)**_

* * *

Zero dreamt of many things as the weeks passed- visions of war torn battefields, whether they be of the Academy torn asunder or a field he was completely unfamiliar with, the flat, unseeing stares of the dead haunted him in his waking hours as well and he was helpless to do anything about it, opting to paste a mask haphazardly over his features whenever his mind turned back to the horrific scenes that followed him even in the safety of the Dorm's walls.

But tonight he was _not_ going to focus on what awaited him- or at least he was going to try not to anyway.

No, tonight was a night of triumph, of failure, of _utterly_ disgusting productions- yes, tonight was the night they marathoned Worst Chefs in the World.

They being Aido and he while Kain kept watch over his cousin- it was a weekend night after all, and it was a rare weekend when the students were allowed to wander into town, so Kaname had made sure the wiser cousin was keeping a close eye on the younger, but it was rendered moot as Zero had already lured the blond into the trappings of reality television.

His head was aching hollowly- gradually worsening as the night progressed, and every clatter of pans and smacking of fish against cutting boards via the blaring TV made his ears near ring in agitation.

Of course, he was calming himself with what Aido had referred to as an 'ungodly combination of separately delicious foods, unified unnecessarily and therefore rendered disgusting'- Zero just snickered at the blond's antics while shoving it into his mouth to attempt to abate his annoyingly strong cravings.

But still, whenever a commercial would flash on screen he found himself searching the future- Yuki's future.

But it wasn't her future he was finding, it was her _past_.

 _Warmth, comforting warmth- she was wrapped in her Okaa-san's arms, her mother humming the soft lullaby she had always sung to soothe Yuki's restless nerves. Juri's fingers tangled in and out of her daughter's long auburn waves as she held her against her chest, Yuki's face tucked into her bosom as she slowly stopped crying, the fear she had acquired during her nightmare degrading the longer she remained in Juri's warm arms._

 _A flash, and she's sitting in her Otouto's lap as he reads a book with big, unfamiliar words to her while her Nii-san practices on the piano's keys- a pointless activity as everything he did always seemed to come flawlessly to him. But still- the soft, lilting melody lured her into a hazy sort of contentment- she was safe and she was happy in her father's arms._

 _Another flash and Juri cries out as she rushes Yuki past the second story windows that face out onto the front lawn. Yuki's brows are furrowed in confusion as her mother sobs quietly. She longs to comfort her mother- Okaa-san was the sun of her life, a wildfire of emotions- she should never cry or be sad in Yuki's young mind._

" _Haruka, oh Kami…" Juri cries, picking Yuki up once they're out of sight of the windows, hiding them away in an isolated room on the third floor landing._

" _Okaa-san?" Yuki breathes, concerned, and Juri forces a smile- but they both know it's pointless- her mate is dead and her family is in danger._

 _A blink and suddenly she's wrapped in her mother's arms, her mother humming the familiar lullaby as if to comfort her, but Yuki cannot help but cry as her mother's blood floods the floor of the room, her mother's magic soothing her when her song fails. Yuki blinks slowly, exhaustion flooding her and making it hard to think._

" _I love you." Her mother says softly, and Yuki knows no more._

 _When she comes to she can't recall anything- who is she? Where did she come from? What is it that paints the ivory pillow-no, snow- crimson?_

Zero blinked heavy eyes and was overwhelmed with a… feeling. A part of his intuition demanded he act now- something was wrong, something needed to be seen, and Kaname needed to see it too.

He stood and dressed in jeans and a loose shirt and heavy coat to hide his belly away, telling the pair of cousins that he would be back- that he had to speak to his mate.

Aido's brows furrowed in concern, but Zero waved it off.

"I'll be fine, Hana."

He left his room and quickly knocked on the door to his mate's office, peeking in and telling him to throw on a jacket and shoes, garnering a cocked brow.

"Just trust me, I've got a feeling that you need to see something."

Kaname nodded and they soon left the Dorms, heading off the path and cutting through the forested grounds to the main gates where a few stragling day class students bolted in to avoid a detention for missing curfew.

The two purebloods kept to the treeline, and Zero could sense Kaname's restlessness as if he sensed the silverette's unease.

A few minutes passed, and then suddenly Yuki came running through the gates, her eyes crazed with fear, and she turned to run down a lesser travelled path.

"She can't see what's going on around her." He whispered, before his eyes caught movement on Kaname's part.

Zero held Kaname back on instinct, "Keep watching- no- I don't think anyone's after her."

"Yuki!" Ichiru called, running after her as he spotted her bolt for the side path.

His twin was concerned, that was abundantly clear, and he was confused.

The two purebloods cast out their senses, not able to sense any threats approaching- just a few drunk day class students.

They glanced at one another and ghosted after the pair.

They found Yuki with her back to Ichiru, neither of them noticing the purebloods.

"Yuki?" Ichiru breathed.

Her eyes were glazed when she turned around in a whirl of skirt, withdrawing Artemis Rod in one smooth move and lashing out at Ichiru in an act of fight or flight.

Why was she scared? What was she seeing that they weren't?

She knocked him to the ground and he rolled to escape blunt force trauma to the head, making her moves more urgent and less skilled and she lashed out for whatever she could- his legs, his stomach- Zero suddenly appeared in a pureblood show of speed at his twins side, catching Artemis as she went for a glancing blow against his ribs.

Ichiru coughed once, groaning in pain, but making no move to protect himself.

Zero sighed, "Yuki…"

His voice was soft, gentle even.

She was his sister- she needed his help, she needed _their_ help. Her seal was breaking, dangerously so, and she was in distress as she stilled, his voice penetrating her unruly mind through the haze of agitated hallucinations.

"You're safe. No one's here to hurt you. I won't let anyone hurt you, Yuki."

She stilled further, her eyes glassy with unshed tears, "Zero?"

"I'm here, Yuki."

She fell to her knees and clawed at her temples, crying out in pain.

Zero sighed and with a simple tap, knocked her unconscious.

Kaname appeared at her side and picked her up off the ground, his brows furrowed oh-so-slightly in concern.

He was agitated, but accepted what he had been shown.

"I'd wanted her to stay human for longer- to remain happy and unaware for longer."

Zero nodded and knelt at his twins side, who was silent and confused.

"What's going on, Nii-san?"

Zero sighed once more, healing his brother and in the process making his head ache with a pulsing desperation. He had to keep this to a minimum- the pregnancy was beginning to take it out of him more and more. And he still had five more months as unfortunately vampire gestational periods were slightly longer.

"I'll tell you about it back at the dorm. Now help me up."

Ichiru nodded and frowned when he felt Zero's weight lean on him for more support than he had realized would be needed.

Zero sent a firm stare at Kaname, "Everything will be alright, but only if you tell her the truth."

His mate nodded, and they headed home, the younger twins brows drawn in worry at his sorry state.

 _Just walk it off_ , he told himself as his eyes narrowed in pain as his head pulsed stronger than before.

* * *

 _ **A/N: Surprise, another A/N (except I am well aware only half of you will ever bother to actually read either of them, and those that did for the one at the top will be even less inclined to read the second lmao). Questions for ya'll this chapter-** How do you feel about the limitations Zero is beginning to have from the pregnancy in this chapter? What is your prediction to how Yuki will react in the next chapter when her seal is broken? How do you think the relationship dynamics will change between Yuki and Ichiru when she's a pureblood and he's still a human? Do you think Ichiru should somehow become a pureblood as well? **Let me know below! Thanks for reading! :)**_

ALSO, I am BEGGING ya'll to read my story Velleity (it's a captain america fanfic- but it's still gay af and has mpreg and the oc is a weretiger/kitsune hybrid and PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE read it because its been up for months and on fanfic it has literally only gotten a follow and no reviews and no faves and I am DESPERATE. (it's Bucky Barnes/Male OC) If you review it seriously I will read and review a story of yours as long as I'm somewhat familiar with the fandom and/or source content. (Also, I am kinda mean when I review, I don't mean to be, I just can't sugarcoat to save my life. Blame it on the autism.) Other payment options include me declaring you my one true God(dess) and devoting myself to becoming your priestess.) JUST PLEASE.


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